Asparagus & Bacon Aglio Olio

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I made this asparagus & bacon aglio olio as I had a craving for pasta that is customised to suit my taste buds – pasta cooked in loads of healthy olive oil & fresh garlic, as well as a little more heat than usual. This is a full-flavoured pasta that is easy on the palate.

See Also:

• Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
• Simmered Bacon Wrapped Veggies
• Simple Asparagus Recipes

Asparagus & Bacon Aglio Olio Ingredients

Main ingredients (pictured above):

• Garlic – Lots of it, preferably freshly minced/chopped. You can use a garlic press or garlic twister (as pictured) to speed things up.
• Chilli – I use chilli padi (bird’s eye chilli) for extra heat. I end them towards the end so that the chilli heat isn’t choking when cooking. Or you can also use the milder dried chilli flakes.
• Bacon – Cut them to short 1 cm strips as shown above.
• Asparagus – Use thick asparagus for a more luxurious vibe. To prep the asparagus – snap & discard the bottom ends of the asparagus spears which is tough. Shave the stem so that it’s not woody. In this way, the asparagus will taste tender, not woody.
• Butter – for added flavour and a velvety finish.

Asparagus & Bacon Aglio Olio (STEP-BY-STEP)

Add asparagus and a bit of oil in the middle of the pan. Add the bacon strips around the asparagus. Season the asparagus with some salt and pepper. When the contents are lightly cooked on one side, turn them over to cook on the other side.

Push the cooked asparagus & bacon to the side of the pan. Add garlic and more olive oil. Cook until the garlic turns light golden brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Then add parsley and chilli, pan fry for a few seconds until aromatic.

Meanwhile, on the next stove, I cook some angel hair which only takes 1 minute 30 seconds.

Immediately add the angel hair to the pan along with a small knob of butter.

Add a few spoons of rich chicken stock, or pasta cooking water.

Combine everything in the pan until evenly mixed. Season with salt & pepper and garnish with a lemon wedge. I usually eat the pasta straight from the pan.

You can also plate it out. What I love most about home-made pasta is that I have a small glass of sauvignon blanc to go with the pasta!