There is something about a bundle of lusciously green asparagus spears, with a strip of salty, sinfully indulgent bacon wrapped and oven-roasted around it. I don’t know who first attempted this–I imagine it was some French foodie with access to a garden, a pigpen and a hot pan–but the world owes him–or her!–a debt of gratitude.
If you can get your hands on some asparagus–I found a bundle at Costco for $9.99–please do! This vegetable is loaded with anti-inflammatory nutrients, including Vitamin C, Vitamin E and beta-carotene, as well as zinc, manganese and selenium.
As for bacon, well, bacon. I need not say more.
In our household, we put together bacon-wrapped asparagus with five ingredients. “But what else could you need? You’ve got the bacon, you’ve got the asparagus, isn’t that all?”, I hear you ask. Ah, add but just a couple more ingredients, and you’ll bring out the best in this simple but delicious dish! Check it out!
Ingredients:
- 18 large asparagus spears
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Cracked black pepper
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C (fan-forced). On the side, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove any hard, fibrous bottoms away from your asparagus. You can do this by cutting them away with a knife or bending the asparagus gently until it breaks (it will usually be the part where the hard fibre bottom and the rest of the asparagus meet).
- Gather three asparagus spears together. Wrap a strip of bacon around it and stick a toothpick through it to hold it in place. Lay on the parchment paper. Repeat until all spears are wrapped.
- Drizzle olive oil across and crack black pepper across the asparagus. Optional: top with cheese! Bake until the bacon is to your level of crispness; for truly crispy bacon and tender asparagus, bake for about 25 minutes. Serve as an appetiser or with rice for a light meal.
