Sauteed Asparagus with Bacon

Grab a fork, skip the plate, you are going to be eating this sauteed asparagus with bacon before it gets to the table.

Sauteed Asparagus with Bacon

It’s easy to pan roast or saute asparagus with just a bit of oil, or for this recipe just a touch of bacon grease and a tablespoon of butter. For sauteeing vegetables, my absolute favorite skillet is this stainless Misen.

Cook until tender and then season with salt and pepper. If your stove top is full don’t be afraid to pop it in the oven and roast it.

To prep, your asparagus cut off the bottom inch or so. Then using your vegetable peeler peel the outside layer from the bottom just a few inches. This gets rid of some of that “woody” stalk.

If your asparagus is thicker and a bit more mature don’t skip this step. If it is skinnier in nature and you know it is young and freshly picked you can get away without peeling it.

Asparagus and Bacon

Go ahead and cook the bacon. I like to use thick-cut bacon for the texture and flavor it adds to the asparagus. Reserve a little bit of the bacon grease to cook your asparagus in.

Saute your asparagus in the bacon drippings with a little bit of added butter. Cook it for about 4-5 minutes, you want it to have a slightly firm texture when you serve it.

After roasting the asparagus saute the onions in the remaining drippings, scraping the bottom of the pan for all the little pieces of bacon left there. Take care to not cook the onions until they are overly soft.

Add the asparagus and bacon back to the pan with the onions. Toss to combine everything and drizzle with a bit of balsamic reduction and season to taste.

Stovetop Asparagus Recipe

1. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain the grease from the skillet, reserving the extra and leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
2. Add butter to the remaining grease in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add half of the asparagus to the skillet with tips pointed in one direction, and add the remaining spears with tips pointed in opposite direction. Toss the spears in the buttery oils. Cover and cook until asparagus is bright green and still crisp, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Uncover and season asparagus with salt and pepper. Cook until spears are crisp-tender and browned on one side, about 2 minutes longer. Use tongs to move spears from the center of the pan to the edge of the pan as needed.
4. Transfer the asparagus from the pan to a plate and return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon grease to the pan and add the onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Cook, stirring occasionally until the edges darken and the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer the onion to the plate with the asparagus. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Serve warm.

My favorite skillet gets a regular workout on our stove top sauteeing our favorite vegetables.

Brussels sprouts with bacon, sliced almonds, and garlic is a side dish dream. A drizzle of red wine vinegar brings all of the flavors together in this easy recipe.

Sauteed Peppers and Onions make for a tasty side or topping for steaks, sandwiches, or delicious tacos and fajitas.

Savory and garlicky, your family will be asking for these pepper garlic green beans all year round. This is a whole new layer of deliciousness for your next batch of sauteed green beans.