Roasted Asparagus & Eggs

Last week, NYT featured a series of recipes in their Dining & Wine section on the classic combination of asparagus and eggs.  On the internet edition, links are provided to 18 archival recipes using asparagus as its main feature.  Whole Living also has a recipe for this seasonal favorite:  http://www.wholeliving.com/recipe/asparagus-and-eggs?

After perusing the articles, my boyfriend and I landed on this one: Roasted asparagus and couscous, with shiitakes and prosciutto.  The article didn't call for any onion or garlic, though I made the executive decision to overlook the Times and do what I know to be best for flavors:  I combined the olive oil with a small shallot and single clove of garlic (chopped). I also cut the oil with a tablespoon of melted butter.  We also topped the dish with a poached egg.

I have to say, roasting the asparagus for an hour at 200 degrees was a lovely way cook the vegetable.  Not overdone at all--there isn't much worse than a humiliated asparagus stalk.  The tarragon overwhelmed my tiny kitchen with the aroma of anise, but was perfectly delicate on the palate.  The nutmeg was also a great touch.

Should I decide to repeat this recipe--it's definitely worthy of a dinner party--I would absolutely include caramelized onions and goat cheese.  It needed the sweetness to balance the other flavors in addition to more depth.  I was hoping the egg yolk would be enough creaminess, though the flavor balance of goat cheese would have made the dinner sing.