Mark Bittman's Roasted Asparagus with Bacon and Parmesan

 

 When I think of spring I think of three veggies: peas, carrots, and asparagus. Asparagus was my mom's favorite and it always reminds me of her. She used to say that it just made her feel so good to eat it. When I came across a beautiful bunch of fresh asparagus, I couldn't refuse it. 

While searching online for recipes, I found Mark Bittman's article titled, Asparagus, 12 ways. While they all sounded delicious, particularly Grilled Asparagus with Red Pepper Glaze, I opted for Roasted Asparagus with Bacon and Parmesan because, let's face it, bacon and parmesan. I'm trying to be good, but springing forward isn't my favorite, ya know? Why does the time change affect us all week?

This dish was so unbelievably good! The asparagus was still fresh with a bit of a snap to it and the roasting really brings out the flavor. The little bit of bacon and parmesan really go a long way in building flavor and I found that this veggie dish was somewhat addictive. I wanted to go back for more!

This is perfectly delicious by itself, but I'm thinking I would really enjoy it for breakfast with a crispy fried egg on top! Yum! I will be making this easy and delicious veggie many more times in the future! 

Recipe per Mark Bittman's, article linked above. Recipe is for one pound of aspargus, serves 4.

Heat the oven to 450F. Toss the asparagus with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 4 slices bacon, chopped (I wanted my bacon to be crispy and I knew the thin asparagus would only take 5-6 minutes so I cooked some chopped bacon until it was almost done in a skillet then added it to the asparagus) in a roasting pan. Roast, turning the asparagus once or twice, until done. Garnish with grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.

My asparagus was thin so it only took between 5-6 minutes, but thick asparagus would take longer. Best to check on it while it's roasting.

 

Spring Forward @ IHCC