Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

Bacon Wrapped Seasoned Asparagus Bundles, delicious as a side dish, an appetizer or a snack.  They are great served hot, room temperature or cold. 

You can use bacon or lately I like using thin sliced Prosciutto for a lighter flavor. They can also be done on the grill,  you just have to watch them closer. I make the dipping sauce with my own DBL Harissa (a Moroccan condiment), but you can make with any favorite hot sauce.

Yield: 8 bundles

Ingredients:

1 bunch of asparagus

8 slices thick cut bacon or sliced Prosciutto 

olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

DBL Harissa dipping sauce.

For the dipping sauce:

½ cup Mayonnaise

1 Tablespoons DBL Harissa / Sriracha or favorite hot sauce

1 Tablespoons Lemon Zest

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 400°F

2.  Wash and dry the asparagus spears, snap them at their natural breaking point and lay the tops out on a dish.

3.  Drizzle with olive oil and seasonings, toss to fully coat.

4.  Separate the spears into bundles of 4 or 5 spears (depending on the thickness of the asparagus, I can usually get 8 bundles out of a bunch.

Beginning at the bottom of the bundle, tightly wrap a slice of bacon all the way up the bundle.

5.  Once the bundles are complete, place them in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the spears are cooked to your liking – the timing will depend upon the thickness of the spears and how you like your asparagus cooked.

For the dipping sauce:

1.  Mix all of the ingredients and let set in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to the flavors can blend.

You could sweeten these by using a maple cured bacon, or add an extra snap by wrapping them with a peppered bacon. These are delicious hot or cold, and are simply delicious all by themselves or with a dipping sauce. These can be done on the grill, too. You’d have to pay more attention to them, though and turn them so that they cook thoroughly on all sides.