Oven Roasted Asparagus with Red Pepper and Garlic

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs.            asparagus spears

1 ea.                 large garlic clove, halved

1 ea.                 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and julienne

2 Tbsp.            olive oil

¼ tsp.               fresh thyme leaves

                        Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Snap off tough ends of asparagus; remove scales with vegetable peeler, set aside.

Rub cut sides of garlic over a baking dish; add garlic to dish.  Add asparagus; drizzle with oil.  Sprinkle with salt, thyme and pepper.  Toss gently.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring once.

While asparagus is cooking; turn one eye of cook top to high heat.  Put red bell pepper directly on flame slowly turning as flesh chars.  Once pepper is completely black put in zip-lock bag  and seal.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Open bag and under cool water running from the tap, peel the charred skin from the pepper.  Cut top of pepper and discard seeds, halve and trim white veins from the interior of pepper.  Slice very thinly (julienne).   Reserve.  Once asparagus is ready top with julienne peppers and serve.