Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles
This is one of my favorite ways to serve asparagus. Not only does it look amazing, it has a wonderful flavor, and everyone loves it! Serve it for a family dinner, special occasion or as a vegetable side dish on a holiday buffet. These little bundles look as amazing as they taste!
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- 1 lb asparagus spears
- 5 - 6 bacon slices, not thick cut
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients
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- Clean and trim the asparagus, then cut into 5" lengths
- Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil. Grind a little fresh black pepper over the asparagus, then separate into bundles of about 4 or 5 spears each.
- Wrap each asparagus bundle with a strip of bacon. Place bacon wrapped bundles on broiler pan or rack set in a baking sheet; be sure the end of the bacon strip is on the underside of the bundle so it doesn't unwrap.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes or until the bacon looks golden brown and lightly crisp.
Try to find thin asparagus spears that are all about the size size.
My family loves this dish, but they aren't too keen on bacon that is super soft, so I give the bacon a bit of a jump-start by baking it in the oven for 5 - 8 minutes before wrapping it around the asparagus.
How to cook bacon in the oven:
Place oven rack in the middle position. Preheat oven to 400° F.
Place a baking rack over a sheet pan with sides; lay the bacon in a single layer on the rack. Place the rack and sheet pan in the preheated oven and cook 15 - 20 minutes until bacon is crispy, this will vary depending on the thickness of your bacon. Keep a close eye on the bacon, it can cook quickly.
*These directions are for cooking bacon until it is done, if you're using this method to jump-start the bacon for the asparagus bundles, don't cook it more than 5 - 8 minutes. You don't want it crispy; it will continue cooking with the asparagus.
