Roasted Asparagus and Golden New Potatoes look so elegant on a plate, especially with rosemary snipped all over them. Plus, they complement virtually any meal – from steak to salmon patties.
When I want potatoes to look just a dash more fancy, new potatoes – golden or red – always do the trick. They have all the same creamy interior of a russet potato, but look a bit prettier on the plate and their waxier texture makes them taste, as my girls say, “like a mashed potato inside of a potato”. Serving them alongside these asparagus spears with a sprinkle of rosemary on top will make your family feel as special as you think they are.
To get this elegant look, I snipped these rosemary clippings off my rosemary bush outside, but you can sprinkle jarred rosemary or get a fresh sprig or two when you stop by the store next time for mere cents. Rosemary is especially complementary to creamier green vegetables, like peas and asparagus, and on potatoes, too, which I slather with a bit of grass-fed butter to gloss them up a bit and top them with even more deliciousness.
What is a Waxy Versus a Starchy Potato? And Why Does It Matter?
There are different kinds of potatoes and they all behave differently when you apply heat to them and when they are submerged in fat. Mealy or starchy potatoes (like russets) are considered white-skinned potatoes (I know, they’re brown skins, but I’m talking about what they say in cooking school and classic cookbooks). These are the ones you want for those heavenly creatures called French fries. They are also best for baking because their skin is drier and gets all super-crispy while they get all fluffy inside because of their higher starch content.
Waxy potatoes, like new potatoes, are any potato with red or golden skin, like Yukon Gold potatoes, for example. Because they are very high in moisture content, they maintain their integrity really well in and around moist things like mayonnaise, potato salads, and when tossed with butter and other vegetables, as they are here.
My mother would always pare a stripe right around the center of the potato, leaving only the top and bottom encased in their peelings, like an egg you’ve managed to peel a middle strip off of. When I asked her why she replied simply and with a smile, “Because that’s the way my mother taught me to make them.”
How to Make Ahead and Store
New potatoes stand up really well to a moist environment, like the refrigerator. If there are leftovers, you can simply plastic wrap the top of your serving dish and find them still delicious tomorrow and the tomorrow after that, even.
Serving Suggestions
If you want to create a meal with a bit of magic and good luck tied to it, serve this with this Slow Cooker Engagement Chicken and finish with some Peach Cheesecake. That’s the meal I made for my husband the night he proposed. In fact, the cheesecake led to the very nervous proposal of, “Well, darling, I think you’re a peach, and I want to ask you to please be my wife.” And we both laughed and cried as I said yes because, well, my husband is a bit of a nerd and this was so him.
Roasted Asparagus and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary finely chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 pound new potatoes halved
- 1 pound asparagus tough ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), rosemary, black pepper, and salt.
- Place the potatoes and asparagus in a large bowl and pour the olive oil mixture over them.
- Toss until the vegetables are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then toss the vegetables and roast for an additional 10 minutes until the potatoes are golden and the asparagus is tender.
- Serve the roasted asparagus and potatoes warm.
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