Prep the asparagus by breaking off the root end at its natural break point. To find the break point, hold the asparagus spear in both of your hands and gently bend the stalk. The root end is usually hard and woody. As it gets closer to the tip the spear, it becomes firm and good. You want to find where that transition from hard to firm is, and break the spear right there. Discard the ends.
Wash the prepared asparagus and pat dry with a clean towel. Place the asparagus on a baking try. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Rotate the spears on the tray with your fingers to evenly coat them.
Bake the asparagus for about 8 minutes on your oven’s bottom rack, until the spears are caramelized on the bottom. The browning adds flavor. The trick here is to get the caramelization without overcooking the asparagus. I don’t like to cook at high temperatures unless I absolutely have to, because high temperatures negatively affect the healthy qualities of the olive oil. 375 is high, but not too high. When done, the asparagus should still still be slightly firm.
To serve
Serve warm with extra finishing salt, and drizzled with fresh lemon juice. Finishing salt is flake salt, the most popular brand being Maldon brand salt, but there are others. Asparagus is fantastic with salt and lemon, and makes a great vegetables side dish, particularly with potatoes or other root vegetables.