Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees and set the oven rack to the middle. 

Prepare the asparagus: Break the ends off of the asparagus by holding the asparagus at the base. It will naturally break where the asparagus becomes tender. (Some people think this is wasteful and prefer to just use a knife to cut off the woody ends. In this case, cut about 1 ½ inches off of the bottom). 

Cut the asparagus into 1 ½ inch pieces and place them on a baking sheet. Make sure that you are using a large enough baking sheet and you only have 1/2-3/4 of the pan filled in a single layer.

Microwave the butter for 1 minute to melt it and then pour it over the asparagus. Add the soy sauce and ground black pepper. Mix with clean hands and then place the tray of asparagus in the oven.

Roast for 5-7 minutes depending on the thickness of the asparagus. If the asparagus is a little pale, broil for a a minute or two on the top rack.

Transfer roasted asparagus to a plate and serve immediately.