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I look forward to local asparagus every spring in Kentucky, as it is widely available and extremely flavorful and healthy. The best part is that asparagus is so easy, quick, and versatile. I always love to come up with new ways to incorporate it in side dishes, appetizers, or entrees. Good Foods Market & Café currently has some beautiful local asparagus and shiitake mushrooms, which complement each other well in this easy oven-to-table recipe. The warm bacon dressing is something I usually make to dress hearty greens, but its sweet smokiness and tang are perfectly suited for these tasty roasted vegetables.

1 bunch asparagus, about 1 ½ lbs, trimmed
3/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 strips bacon, diced
¼ cup red onion, minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Arrange the asparagus on one side of a rimmed baking sheet and place mushrooms on the other side. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Roast the mushrooms and asparagus for about 10-12 minutes, until asparagus are tender. The mushrooms will be browned and wilted.

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. Cook the bacon in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until crisp and remove with a slotted spoon. Add red onion to the bacon grease and cook briefly, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar, mustard, and sugar. Add the bacon bits back to the dressing and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, arrange the asparagus on a platter. Toss the roasted mushrooms in the warm bacon dressing and spoon them over the top of the asparagus.