If you can find jumbo asparagus, a fun way to serve them is wrapped in bacon. And if that isn’t decadent enough, adding real parmesan and slices of garlic takes asparagus to a new level.
Normally you would snap the ends off asparagus to ensure it breaks off at the woody part but jumbo asparagus are so thick they might break in half. Use freshly cut spears so you just have to cut a small amount off. Maybe an inch or two.
Using a sharp paring knife, slice the spears lengthwise from just under the tip to an inch from the bottom. Slice very thin pieces of Parmesan cheese and garlic. Slide them into the opening of the asparagus. It helps if you put the tip of the knife in the slice and twist it to open it up. If you happen to break the spear open, don’t worry, the bacon will hold it all together. Slide the parmesan in first, then fit in the thin slices of garlic.
How to wrap asparagus in bacon
Wrap each asparagus spear with one uncooked slice of bacon in a spiral so that most of the spear is covered. You can stretch thinner bacon a bit and overlap slightly so when it shrinks it helps hold everything in place. Good quality butcher bacon is a little thicker than the more inexpensive grocery store brands. So you may need to use a few toothpicks to hold the bacon in place if you splurge on the good stuff.
Using a rack over a baking sheet allows the grease to drain off and the bacon to crisp all the way around. You can also cook bacon wrapped asparagus on the barbecue but you need to be careful not to lose any bacon through the grills. They need to cook long enough for the bacon to get crispy but you don’t want all the cheese to melt out so use a really good Parmesan which is hard and dry so it doesn’t ooze out. Bacon, cheese and garlic…..a delicious trilogy!
They’re done when the bacon is sizzling and crispy. They take about 15 to 20 minutes in the oven depending on how thick the bacon is. They’re a little quicker on the barbecue.
Bacon Wrapped Jumbo Asparagus with Parmesan and Garlic is similar to Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus only slightly more decadent!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 8 jumbo spears asparagus
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced very thin
- 1 inch chunk parmesan cheese, sliced thinly
- 8 slices bacon
Instructions
- Rinse asparagus and chop about an inch or so off the bottom.
- Using a sharp paring knife, cut a slit from just below the head to a few inches from the bottom of each spear. Using the knife, twist slightly in the slit to open and slide in parmesan cheese and garlic into each spear.
- Wrap each spear with one slice of bacon on a diagonal to cover most of the openings.
- Arrange on a rack over a baking sheet. Bake in on the centre rack in a preheated oven at 400° for 15 - 20 minutes until bacon is crispy.
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