Servings: 4 Prep: 10 min Cook: 15 min Total: 25 min
This is a very simple, but surprisingly elegant and extremely delicious little dish. Alone, it’s wonderful, but you could also lean 3 of these onto a nice salad, with a goats’ cheese vinaigrette, a couple of toasted pine nuts and a grilled fig (just one!), and you’d have something impressive!
It’s quick and easy to prepare. The only things you need are asparagus, pancetta (Italian BACON!!), oil, salt and pepper!
I’ve left this simple, but there are many things you could do with this. A light squeeze of orange juice, and a little orange zest tossed into the oil, would be just delightful! As would some herbs. Rosemary, perhaps? A few chili flakes for a back-of-the-throat kicker, if that’s your thing … This is also just excellent if you grill it, but … be careful … the pancetta wants to fall off. Be deliberate and clear in your movements and grill that stuff up! TASTY!
Pancetta Wrapped Asparagus
Print RateIngredients
- 1 bunch asparagus spears (about 20 spears)
- 2 tbsp light olive oil
- 20 slices pancetta sliced into strips
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
- Place your baking tray in the oven, to heat up.
- Remove the fibrous and tough base of the asparagus spear. I usually just cut the base off the entire bundle, but many "snap" the spears in half, under the assumption that the asparagus knows where its own sweet spot lies ... your call. Snap 'em or cut 'em. The base is tough, but ... makes for a good soup!
- Toss your asparagus in a little oil, salt and pepper. Coat them well and evenly.
- Wrap each spear in pancetta. Set them on a plate, with the seam side down.
- Remove the hot baking tray from the oven and quickly place your asparagus spears on the tray, with the seam side down. Do it swiftly, before the tray cools off and the asparagus just steams. You want to hear that "searing" sound ...
- Place the tray in the oven. Bake for 8 to 14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus.
- Remove from the oven and serve!
STANDARD FTC DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Please note, I only ever endorse products that are in alignment with my ideals and I believe would be of value to my readers.
* Learn More: More about this recipe and nutrition …
Did I miss the oven temp for this? Sounds great–just don’t want to ruin it with the wrong temp.
Hi Unknown. Whoops! I just updated the recipe. 400 F. Thank you for pointing it out! 🙂
How did you get that much fat in asparagus? I think that’s wrong.
Hi Unknown. You’re correct. Fixed! Thank you for pointing it out!