“The best?” you say.

Yes, the best. If the best means simple, quick and easy to adjust to your tastes. Then yes, the best.

Part of learning to love eating vegetables is finding new ways to cook them that make you really enjoy them.

I love bright green spring asparagus. And while I love roasting almost all vegetables, including asparagus, I find that roasting can too easily turn it to khaki-colored mush or dry it out. Womp womp.

Most of the time, it’s way more efficient to do a little combo of sauteing and steaming on the stove top. Throw a little olive oil, garlic and salt in your skillet and you’ll have perfectly cooked asparagus with lots of flavor in less than 10 minutes.

Note: the time ranges in the instructions below allow for you to make adjustments — cook a little longer if you like a softer spear, or less if you’re looking for a little crunch.

PERFECT ASPARAGUS

• 1 bunch of asparagus, washed and dried well with woody bottoms trimmed off
• Olive oil
• Salt
• 1 large garlic clove, grated on a microplane or finely chopped
• Recommended: black cracked pepper and/or chili flakes

1. Heat oil in a large skillet with a lid over a medium-high heat.
2. Add prepped asparagus, toss to coat in olive oil, season with salt and cover for about 2-3 minutes, until there’s a tiny bit of char on the asparagus.
3. Add about 2 tablespoons of water to the pan, toss and cover, cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Add garlic and a dash more water, if the pan is dry. Cook 1-2 minutes uncovered. Season with pepper and serve.