Roasting vegetables is the easiest and most delicious way to whip together a vegetable side dish. One of my favorites is asparagus. Asparagus is sold in bunches and one bunch is usually enough for 2-3 people.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Snap the tough ends off each stalk (it’s usually about an inch or two) and put them on a sheet pan. Drizzle the asparagus with about a tablespoon of olive oil, one teaspoon of kosher salt, and a half teaspoon of black pepper. Mix it all up with your hands and arrange so that the stalks are flat on the pan.

I like to serve it with pancetta or prosciutto on top, but you can leave it off if you don’t like that. I broke up two slices of thinly sliced pancetta and spread it on top.

Roast at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes (20 if it’s REALLY thick asparagus). If you’re leaving off the meat, put some shredded Parmesan on for the last 2-3 minutes. Mmmmmhmmm.

If you’re new to asparagus, get ready for some SMELLY pee. Asparagus has an enzyme called mercaptan and when you digest it, there is a smelly byproduct that comes out in your urine. It’s all worth it because roasted asparagus is full of folic acid, low-calorie and delicious.