Adding a little bit of a highly flavorful ingredient can take a simple dish from fine to wow without any fuss; in this case, the star is oyster sauce. Roasted asparagus is bathed in a two-ingredient sauce that elevates the easy vegetable side to repeat-appearance status. Try the sauce for asparagus on other green veggies, too — green beans, broccoli, and bok choy, or even to dress corn on the cob.

This recipe comes from The Global Pantry Cookbook by Ann Taylor Pittman and Scott Mowbray.

Use this sauce to bring umami flavor to any roasted vegetable.

Servings: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds medium-thick asparagus spears, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee or Megachef Premium)

STEPS

1) Preheat oven to 425°F. Place asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet; drizzle evenly with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in preheated oven until asparagus are crisp-tender, about 12 minutes.

2) While asparagus roasts, melt butter in a small skillet over medium. Cook, whisking often (this cuts down on sputtering), until deeply fragrant with a toasty aroma and darkened to the color of light brown sugar, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour butter into a small bowl, and let cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Whisk in oyster sauce.

3) Arrange asparagus on a platter, and drizzle evenly with oyster-butter sauce. Serve hot.