Steamed Jumbo Asparagus Recipe

Trim asparagus

Rinse the asparagus under cold running water to remove any grit. Hold each spear near the middle and gently bend; it will naturally snap where the woody end begins. Alternatively, line up spears and trim the bottom 1–1½ inches with a knife. Discard woody ends.

Pat the spears dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Season lightly with ½ tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, tossing to coat evenly.

Set up steamer

Pour 1 cup water into a medium sauté pan or saucepan with a tight-fitting lid (or into a pot for a steamer basket). Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.

Steam asparagus

Arrange the asparagus spears in a single layer in a steamer basket or on a metal trivet set in the pan. If using the pan without a steamer basket, place spears on top of an inverted heatproof plate so they are above the water. Cover and steam until bright green and tender when pierced with a fork near the thick end: about 4–6 minutes for jumbo spears (start checking at 4 minutes). Thinner tips may cook faster; remove earlier if desired.

Carefully remove the lid away from you to avoid steam burns. Transfer the asparagus to a warm platter and keep warm.

Create butter-lemon sauce

With the pan still on medium heat (discard any remaining water), add 2 tbs unsalted butter to the pan. As it melts, swirl in 1 tbs fresh lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon zest (if using). Scrape any browned bits from the pan and season the butter sauce with the remaining ½ tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Remove from heat.

Drizzle the warm butter-lemon sauce evenly over the steamed asparagus. If using, sprinkle 2 tbs grated Parmesan over the spears and gently toss or turn to coat.

Garnish with 2 tbs toasted slivered almonds and 1 tbs minced fresh parsley if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately.