A beautifully presented side dish featuring quick-roasted asparagus wrapped with prosciutto.
This is one of those “I’m a fancy-pants and I know it,” kind of side dishes and is best served when you want to show off your culinary goods. While the ingredients are simple, the flavor is divine. Roasting the asparagus brings out its natural sweetness, which pairs quite nicely with the salty prosciutto. Another lovely little contradiction at hand, the asparagus cooks to a perfect al dente, just tender enough, while the prosciutto crisps up on both sides, courtesy the baking rack. Serve alongside roasted poultry, pork or fish.
- 1 Bunch of Asparagus tough ends removed
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil in a Small Bowl
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 4-6 Thin Slices of Prosciutto cut vertically in half down the center
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Preheat oven to 450° and have ready a rimmed baking sheet fitted with an oven-safe rack. You will also need 10-12 round toothpicks on standby.
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Place 3-4 stalks of asparagus side-by-side, bottoms aligned and press tightly together. Gently, push the first toothpick through, about 1” from the bottom of the stalks, then another about 2” below the tip and an additional toothpick in the middle if necessary to secure them together. Repeat until all the stalks have been assembled into bundles.
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Using a pastry brush, lightly brush each side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. You will likely use two prosciutto strips per asparagus bundle. Using the bottom toothpick as an anchor to keep the prosciutto in place, delicately begin to wrap each bundle with a single strip of prosciutto. Place the end of the second prosciutto strip over where the first ended (the prosciutto pieces should sort of stick to one another) and continue wrapping upward until you have reached the top toothpick and anchor once more. Repeat with remaining asparagus bundles.
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Bake on rack for 8 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and transfer to serving dish or plates. Carefully remove toothpicks before eating.
*When choosing asparagus for this recipe, it best to go with a medium-sized stalk, not too thin and not too hefty either. To choose a healthy asparagus stalk, look for healthy purple tips and tight, firm stalks that snap when bent.
Would pair well with:
Dry & Crisp White Wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
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