Roasted Asparagus with Bacon Shallot Vinaigrette

3 pounds asparagus

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 slices bacon

Vinaigrette:

2 shallots, minced

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Trim ends of asparagus. Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet; toss spears with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Bake until tender and slightly browned, approximately 10 minutes, depending on the diameter of your asparagus. Can be cooked several hours ahead. Hold at room temperature.

Cook bacon, until crisp; drain well and crumble into a small bowl.

Combine shallots, ¼ cup cilantro, ¼ cup olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in blender. Blend until smooth. (This can also be made without a blender by simply whisking ingredients in a bowl.)

To serve, arrange asparagus on a platter. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle bacon-cilantro mixture over top.

Serves 10

Penny Kazmier