Last night I hosted some special food and wine loving friends over for a casual Sunday supper. And these folks were worth pulling out some stops for.  I put together a menu of small dishes (that in reality were not that small) of Italian savory bites. Roasted tomato crostini, pan roasted lemon shrimp, fried cauliflower zeppoli, dry pickled cucumber salad and these most delicious grilled pancetta wrapped asparagus. Oh, and the most perfect almond cake.

I think this dish was my favorite out of all.  Don’t be shocked by it’s simplicity. Get grilling.

Grilled Pancetta Wrapped Asparagus with Orange Vinaigrette from Food & Wine Magazine 

• 2 pounds medium asparagus
• 1/2 pound very thinly sliced pancetta
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons chopped thyme

Tightly wrap each asparagus spear in a slice of pancetta and refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a small bowl, stir the orange zest and juice with the mustard and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill the asparagus over moderate heat, turning often, until they are just tender and the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the asparagus to a platter and drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle with the thyme and serve.