1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Trim the ends of the asparagus by about 1 inch. Add them to a large bowl and drizzle with salt, pepper and olive oil. Coat well. If desired add some smoked paprika and garlic powder for extra flavor.
4. Cut the bacon slices lengthwise and wrap each asparagus piece in a bacon strip. Wrap it tightly around the veggie stalk, slightly overlapping to create a spiral pattern.
5. Place seam side down onto the prepared wire rack.
6. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven and using kitchen tongs turn over and bake for 10-15 more minutes, or until the bacon is nicely cooked and crispy.
7. Broil for 1-2 minutes, careful not to burn.

Optional:

1. Mix brown sugar and maple syrup and brush onto the prepared wrapped stalks before baking.