Garlic Butter–Roasted Salmon with Potatoes & Asparagus

Our Garlic Butter-Roasted Salmon with Potatoes & Asparagus is the sheet-pan dinner you need tonight for less mess and easy cleanup. Baby Yukon Golds are tossed in heart-healthy, extra-virgin olive oil and roasted alone because some vegetables just need a little more time to become the best versions of themselves. They are joined at the end of the cooking time by two nutrition powerhouses, inflammation-lowering salmon and folate-rich asparagus. We finished this with a rich lemon butter sauce and fresh parsley for brightness. This will be a keeper recipe for sure! Keep reading for our expert tips on potato selection, knowing when your salmon is done and more!

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• Baby Yukon Golds with creamy, yellow flesh are excellent roasting potatoes, and their size is mostly uniform, so all you have to do is slice them in half. You can swap them for baby red potatoes or fingerlings.
• Thicker salmon takes longer to cook. However, letting it come to room temperature 15 to 20 minutes before cooking will help save time and ensure your fish is cooked evenly throughout.
• We prefer the salmon on the crispy side for this recipe, so we suggest baking it at 400°F rather than 350°F.
• You can use thin or thick asparagus—it's a preference, although thin spears tend to crisp up more. When trimming, simply snap off the woody ends or use a knife or kitchen scissors. 
  

Nutrition Notes

• Salmon is a great protein-packed nutrition powerhouse. Eating it will give you omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, potassium, selenium and the antioxidant astaxanthin. The omega-3s alone have been connected to reduced inflammation and lower blood pressure, as well as lowering the risk of certain cancers. If you choose sockeye salmon, you'll also get more vitamin D than other types of salmon.
• Asparagus has some impressive health benefits. It contains many essential nutrients, including vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, fiber and potassium. Regularly eating asparagus may help lower blood pressure, reduce cancer risk and fight cognitive decline. Asparagus also acts as a natural diuretic, so despite causing that distinctive stinky pee smell in some people, it may help release any extra fluid your body is holding onto.
• Yukon Gold potatoes aren't as starchy as russet potatoes, but you'll still get a fair amount. Don't let the carbs in potatoes scare you; they are packed with nutrition. Potatoes are high in vitamin C and high in potassium—helpful when you are working to lower your blood pressure. You'll also get more fiber per serving when you choose to keep the skins on your potatoes—just give them a good wash and roast them with the skins on.