Garlic butter salmon and asparagus
Salmon and asparagus roasted together under melted garlic butter and lemon, a pretty one-pan dinner that tastes fancy.
- 30 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $6.81 a serving
- 630 calories
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 2 salmon fillets
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, half sliced, half cut into wedges
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 630 calories, 40 g protein, 13 g carbs and 47 g fat, and costs about $6.81 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F and line a with .
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Parchment paper. Parchment paper is a nonstick, oven-safe paper for lining pans. Food lifts right off and cleanup is easy, but don’t swap in wax paper or put parchment under the broiler.
How you’ll know: It lies flat in the pan, and the food slides off when you lift it.
Snap the woody ends off the asparagus, the spears on the pan with the oil and of salt, and push them to the sides.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Dolly’s tip: Bend one spear and it snaps right where the tough part ends. Line the rest up and cut them all at that spot.Set the salmon skin side down in the middle of the pan and with the rest of the salt and the pepper.
Season. Seasoning means adding salt, pepper or spices to bring out a food’s flavor. A little at a few stages tastes better than a lot all at the end.
How you’ll know: When you taste it, it tastes bright and like itself, not flat and not salty.
the butter with the garlic in a small bowl in the microwave, about 30 seconds, and spoon it over the salmon and asparagus.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Timer: 30 sec
Lay the lemon slices on the salmon and 12 to 15 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily and the thickest part reads 145°F.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Timer: 13 min
Dolly’s tip: Check the thickest fillet. When it flakes with a fork, it’s done; another minute is when it starts to dry out.Food safety: Fish is done at 145°F, when the middle looks opaque and flakes apart easily with a fork.
Serve with the lemon wedges and a sprinkle of parsley if you like.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
