This sautéed asparagus recipe with garlic is easy to make on the stovetop!
A few years ago I was operating on autopilot and accidentally cooked asparagus following my mother-in-law’s green bean recipe. My family loved it (even the pickiest child), my daughter named it “Serendipitous Asparagus”, and it has since become a regular on my weekly menu.
This easy pan-fried asparagus recipe is sautéed in butter and garlic. I realize that whole asparagus is more elegant, but I cut the asparagus up into small pieces rather than leave it whole because it is easier to cook that way and it doesn’t affect the flavor. In fact, cut asparagus may be more flavorful since each bite is coated in butter and garlic.
If you are used to roasting asparagus in the oven you may wonder how to cook asparagus on the stove. It is actually quite simple. I prefer to sauté asparagus in a pan on the stovetop because it allows me to use the oven to cook other items for dinner. To sauté asparagus, you just fry it in hot fat. I use butter as the fat for this recipe. However, you can also use olive oil or a mix of oil and butter.
My mother-in-law used a Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Braiser to saute vegetables, but Le Creuset pans are quite expensive. There are a number of Enameled Cast Iron Covered Braisers available for a fraction of the cost. If you don’t have a braiser, use a large frying pan.
Sautéed Asparagus Recipe with Garlic
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds asparagus, chopped
- ¼ cup butter
- 4+ cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions:
-
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, stir butter and garlic until the butter melts.
- Add the asparagus and sprinkle with pepper: toss gently until the asparagus is coated.
- Continue cooking over medium-high heat while stirring regularly.
- Saute for 6-10 minutes or until the asparagus is tender.
Printable Recipe for Sautéed Asparagus with Garlic
Sautéed Asparagus Recipe with Garlic
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. asparagus chopped
- ¼ cup butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat stir butter and garlic until butter melts.
- Add asparagus and pepper: toss gently until the asparagus is coated.
- Continue cooking over medium-high heat while stirring regularly.
- Saute for 6-10 minutes or until the asparagus is tender.
Nutrition
Last night I made Teriyaki Chicken and Sauteed Asparagus for dinner. That’s it. And that’s okay! (Especially since nobody complained.) Yes, really!
Why do we feel we have to add that extra side dish? We don’t. My husband and kids get enough starches throughout the day, that I don’t have to make them a starchy side dish to “round out the meal”. Even if I made teriyaki chicken and it is so good over rice. So if you are feeling tired tonight, give yourself some grace! I promise your family will survive.
Tonight I am using the leftover teriyaki chicken in a stir-fry and I will make rice to go with it. But I am just making plain basmati rice, nothing fancy. The sauce from the stir-fry will provide the rice with any needed flavor. It is a lot easier to cook dinner each night when you embrace easy, nourishing meals.
More Vegetable Recipes:
More Asparagus Recipes
Roasted Asparagus with Dijon Mustard
Kay says
Tasty, and could not be easier! Always looking for new ways with asparagus. I cook for other people at times, and while I like vegetables al dente, a fellow I cook for likes everything very tender. This worked perfectly…you can make it as crisp or as tender as you wish.
Alea says
I broke the rules and ate the asparagus from our first crop. It was skinny, but tasted great. It just keeps getting better each year!
Jennifer says
I love asparagus. We’re putting in a bed this year for the first time. I’ve always wanted to do that, but we keep moving every three years or so.
Fingers crossed that we stay here long enough to harvest some….