This Simple Dinner Is Based on Asparagus

I wait all year for local asparagus, and this spring’s pining went on longer than usual. A cold start to the growing season in the Northeast stalled things. And while this is true for all produce, asparagus is especially sensitive to nature’s chilly whims.

Last weekend at my neighborhood farmers’ market, only a few vendors had stalks on offer.

Greg Swartz, an owner of Willow Wisp Organic Farm in Damascus, Pa., said that his asparagus harvest had been about 20 percent of what it normally is for this time of year.

“Asparagus is a soil thermometer,” he said. “You can tell the soil is cold it is by how slowly it’s growing.”

This has meant that, instead of my usual early May asparagus binge, I’ve been more thoughtful about how to cook the first verdant stalks. Should I steam them and gloss with butter? Sauté them with ramps? Or roast them along with some kind of protein that I can lay on a sheet pan and throw into the oven at the same time?

I decided on roasting, which combines the ease of a one-pan meal with the coziness of a warm kitchen that’s still welcome right now.

There are two ways I approach roasting asparagus alongside a protein. The first is to choose a protein that will roast in the same amount of time as the stalks — usually 10 to 20 minutes depending on how high the heat is and how thick the spears are. This works best for relatively speedy ingredients like fish, meatballs and sausages. But slower cooking ones, like bone-in chicken parts, will benefit from a head start in the oven.

For this recipe, I begin by roasting a seasoned, cut chicken on a sheet pan by itself. This gives me time to trim the asparagus and slice up some scallions, which I add to the pan after 15 minutes.

Piling the whole bunch of asparagus into a mound next to the chicken lets me fit everything on one pan. And then the stalks on top get a little golden while the ones underneath stay bright green and tender. As the chicken skin crisps, it releases its fat into the pan, further seasoning everything. Finally, I drizzle it all with a lemony dressing spiked with coriander and garlic for a sharp, bright tang.

Asparagus season might be spare this year, but I plan to enjoy every green bite.

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