Simple Lemon Dressings for Steamed Asparagus

Here are some simple ways to dress up steamed asparagus.

Before adding the dressing, however, make sure that you have steamed the asparagus according to instructions provided on this blog. Once the asparagus is done steaming, take it out of the pan or pot and run it under cold water for a minute. Then allow it to drain on paper towels for a minute or two, until dry.

Lemon Juice and Fresh Black Pepper
You can't get any more simple than this. Just take a fresh lemon or two (however many you need for the amount of asparagus you have prepared) and squeeze over the asparagus. then grind fresh black pepper over the asparagus, to your taste. Serve.

Lemon Butter
Still pretty simple. You're adding some calories with the butter, but I'm a big believer in using butter in moderation -- nothing else matches the taste. For this dressing, you melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan wide enough to accomodate the asparagus. Once the butter has melted and is bubbling, add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Let the mixture simmer for a minute or two, then remove from heat and toss in the asparagus, turning gently to coat. Serve. This recipe is for 1/2 pound of asparagus, so multiply the amount of lemon and butter according to the amount of asparagus you have.