Asparagus Twisties

About

This steakhouse-worthy Keto side dish can add an elevated touch to your dinner, but it works just as well as an addition to your meal prepping. Whole asparagus stalks require zero seasonings or preparation. Fully wrapping the stalks in bacon adds all the tenderization and salt you need. Wrapped over the bacon-wrapped asparagus are twists of Keto Fathead dough, which add a crunchy layer to tender asparagus. A brushing of egg wash adds that professional-looking touch. At your discretion, you may add extra seasonings to the top of the asparagus twisties before baking, such as fresh-cracked black pepper or garlic powder. Serve the asparagus twisties on the side of your protein main dish or enjoy as a snack before your meal.

What Is Fathead Dough?

Fathead dough was born from the Keto movement. It’s one of the easiest ways to substitute any dough made with wheat-based flours, which are too high in carbs for the Keto diet. A little almond flour is all you need because the main ingredients of the dough are mozzarella and cream cheese. Once the two cheeses are melted together, they create the perfect binding mechanism for the dough. The melted texture makes the dough pliable and easy to roll out. Just keep your dough chilled until you need to use it. It stays fresh in your refrigerator, or you can freeze the dough for longer use.

Use Asparagus In Season

Depending on where you live, asparagus will be available in stores nearly year-round. Asparagus is considered in-season during late-winter months up through spring. This is when you’ll be able to use thick stalks that can be wrapped in bacon and Fathead dough for baking. If you find asparagus in your grocery store, but it’s not quite in peak season, you’ll see thin stalks. You can still use this asparagus but bundle the thin stalks up to equal the weight of a thick, in-season stalk of asparagus. This way, you can use this Keto recipe any time of year!

Ingredients

½ cup almond flour
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup, shredded mozzarella cheese
1 ounce cream cheese
1 large raw egg
8 medium – spear – 5 1/4" to 7" long asparagus, raw
4 slice – 6" long bacon
½ teaspoon water

Instructions

Before you bake the asparagus twisties, you’ll need to make the Fathead dough. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese and cream cheese. Melt the cheeses together in 30-second increments until you can stir them together. While the cheeses are warm, stir half an egg into them. Add the mixture to your bowl of dry ingredients.
Use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix and fold the Fathead dough together. Mix until the dough picks up all the almond flour and there are few to no white streaks in the dough. Transfer the dough to plastic wrap and flatten the dough into a rectangle. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and store in your refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Once the dough has chilled for an hour, you can prepare the twisties. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Roll the chilled dough out between two pieces of parchment paper to a 5×7” rectangle. You can trim away any rough edges to have an even rectangle, but perfection isn’t required here. Slice the rectangle into long, ¼-inch thick strips – one for each asparagus twistie.
Return the sliced strips of Fathead dough to your refrigerator to keep them cool. Meanwhile, arrange your asparagus stalks on a clean surface. Cut away any hard purple ends of your asparagus. Additionally, cut strips of bacon in half lengthwise, so you have long strips of bacon approximately the same length as the strips of Fathead dough.
One by one, wrap a strip of bacon around a stalk of asparagus until it’s completely wrapped. Pull a strip of Fathead from your refrigerator and gently wrap it around the bacon-wrapped asparagus. Repeat this process until each piece of asparagus is wrapped in bacon and a strip of dough. Arrange the finished asparagus twisties on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Whisk together the remaining half of the egg with the water, and brush the egg wash liberally over the twisties.
Bake the tray of asparagus twisties for 30-35 minutes, no flipping required. You can rotate your baking tray to ensure even baking in your oven about halfway through the baking time. For a snack or small side, enjoy 2 asparagus twisties. For a side dish to a larger meal or meal prep, enjoy 4 asparagus twisties.