liz digs life

It’s crunchy, it’s savory, it’s sweet. Bacon wrapped Asparagus is easy and delicious to make. In the spring there is a farm stand across the street from my good friend’s house. They grow a lot of Asparagus and boy do we take advantage of it. As I was cruising through the grocery store today I saw some that looked really good. I thought I would share it with you!

The following recipe will make six bunches of four spears each. You can adjust the quantity to make more or less.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

1 bunch (24) Asparagus Spears
3 strips bacon, cut in half lengthwise
¼ cup brown sugar

Glaze:
¼ cup soy sauce (I use low sodium)
⅛ tsp. ground, black pepper
⅛ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 ½ tsp. honey

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Note: I love parchment paper. If you are not using it, go out and get yourself a roll. You will thank me. The nonstick surface changed my cooking, and especially my baking game, completely.

Wash and trim the bottoms of the Asparagus. Cut the bacon strips in half lengthwise into long strips. I used thick cut bacon, but you can use any kind you would like.

Starting at the top of the bunch, wrap the bacon downward around four spears in a spiral and place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the bunches with brown sugar.

Bake in the oven on a middle or upper rack for 25 minutes at 425 degrees.

Combine ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan.

Note: The original recipe for this glaze came from my brother-in law Dan, who is an amazing cook. I have modified it slightly through the years. I am finding out that the process of sharing actual quantities is kind of hard. This is one of those things I have made for years and never really measured the ingredients. I just kind of wing it. But I can assure you, these quantities are accurate. Once you make this a few times, you too will be able to wing it.

With five minutes left to go, simmer the sauce on medium-low heat. The sauce will come to a boil. Reduce heat slightly. Whisk constantly for five minutes to reduce the sauce to a glaze. When the glaze slightly thickens, remove from heat and set aside. It will continue to get thicker as it sits for a few minutes.

Plate the Asparagus and drizzle the glaze over the spear bunches. This quantity of glaze will provide a drizzle as shown, but will also leave a little left in the pan to add as needed if you like them really saucy.

Another variation is to grill the bunches until the spears are tender and the bacon is crispy. Grill on medium heat. This is tasty in the spring or summer when the weather is nice. The flavor of the grill adds another layer that is great for a BBQ.

I hope you enjoy my recipe for bacon wrapped Asparagus. It makes a great side dish to almost anything.

Liz