Perfectly Cooked Roasted Asparagus

This is the quickest, easiest side dish I've ever made! It's so good and is cooked PERFECTLY! Depending on what I'm serving it with, I might add Parmesan, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and/or balsamic vinegar over top just before serving. It's perfect as is, though. I imagine some sort of Dijon sauce would be delightful as well, though I have yet to try that. The amount of olive oil in my list of ingredients is approximate (I just eyeball the amount).

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4

Ingredients

• 1  bunch asparagus, washed
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  garlic cloves, minced (or garlic powder, for even quick prep)
•  kosher salt
•  red pepper flakes
•  fresh cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In the meantime, "trim" each spear by grasping both ends and gently bending until it snaps in half. (You might lose more of the stalk with the thicker ones, but you won't lose the tender part anyway so it's OK.).
3. Spread the tender top halves in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet; discard the woody stalks.
4. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over top (a tablespoon or two) and add garlic.
5. Season lightly with salt and red pepper flakes; season liberally with the black pepper.
6. Toss to coat.
7. Cook in the preheated over for 10-15 minutes or until asparagus is bright green.