Sheet Pan New Potatoes and Asparagus

The netted bag of beautiful blemish-free yellow new potatoes was emptying. What to do with the rest before they sprouted those annoying eyes? And then there were those green crayons of asparagus? Shoved to the back of the deli drawer was a slim accordion of bacon slices that needed some music . . . So I made this!

It became a whole meal. But, next time (and there will be a next time), I will accompany it with a nice slice of ham steak or piece of salmon. I served it with a nice cold glass of white zinfandel (Berringer) with a bit of club soda. All in all, it was a really "clean" kind of meal. Usually I use sour cream with any potatoes. But, for this, it kind of overtook the delicate flavors of roast garlic and thyme. They were fine on their own.

Suggested oven temp is 425. I have a "hot oven" and I think that is a bit too high unless you have time to  babysit the potatoes  as they bake. For me, 385/390 was fine.

This is more of a process than a recipe, so feel free to improvise on ingredients and the size of your sheet pan. Oh, and an insulated sheet pan works the best, if you have one. It won't "buckle." Don't skimp on the olive oil. Potatoes will soak up quite a bit, and you don't want them to stick. But do not cover your sheet pan with tin foil--the potatoes will stick and it is labor removing it from each potato ...

Cook on a lower rack near the heat source, but not right next to it. This will aid the roasting process. Cook your asparagus to your liking. I like it cooked, slightly limp,  but still with some bite to it. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 10 - 12 oz) baby yellow potatoes, halved or quartered
• ½ lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed
• 1–2 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces (optional)
• Olive oil, (don't be shy) 
• 3–4 whole, unpeeled garlic cloves
• Kosher salt to taste and Celtic or Flaky Salt for finishing
• ¼ tsp black pepper or Aleppo pepper for a bit of spice
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme flakes or 1 tsp. fresh, minced
• Lemon wedges + grated Parmesan or fresh herbs, for finishing

Method

1. Preheat oven to 390 - 415F. (see notes above)
2. Toss the potatoes (and cut-up bacon, if using) with 1 Tbsp olive oil, the whole unpeeled garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and thyme (if using). Spread on a 9 x 12-in sheet pan in a single layer, cut side down. Drizzle with more olive oil—don’t be shy. Potatoes will absorb oil as they roast and you don’t want them to stick to the pan.
3. Roast 20–25 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the potatoes are starting to brown (and the bacon is mostly crisp, if using). 
4. Toss the asparagus with oil, salt, and pepper. Push potatoes to one side of pan. Add asparagus to other side to the pan and roast another 12–15 minutes until the asparagus is tender-crisp and the potatoes are golden. The garlic cloves will be soft and sweet—squeeze them out of their skins to eat if desired.
5. Finish with a flurry of Flaky salt, a sprinkle of fresh-grated Parmesan and some fresh herbs if desired. 
6. Squeeze asparagus with a bit of lemon to brighten it up a bit.
7. Serve hot.