This is the perfect appetizer or side dish. It is salty, crunchy, fresh and warm. My husband has dubbed this his new favorite food. When you take a bite of this you get the crispy, salty prosciutto and inside is the complex cheese and lemon zest mixture which makes the asparagus seem almost creamy. It is delightful.

You can make this the night before or morning of your event, keep it refrigerated and bake it off right before serving.

This was by far my favorite recipe to test lately because every version was delicious and I was able to tweak it to perfection while enjoying the samples with my family! The incredible flavor and impressive presentation is achieved with just a few simple ingredients. Our fourteen month old daughter devoured every bit she could get her hands on!

Spring produce is such a gift. Although I haven’t found any local asparagus yet, my local Costco has beautiful organic asparagus and DOP Prosciutto Di Parma. This shopping trip inspired this new recipe. Costco also has authentic Parmigiano Reggiano for the best price around which definitely beats the “parmesan” cheese product in the store that contains wood pulp!

When purchasing your lemons with the intention of using the zest you should buy organic as conventionally grown citrus is heavily sprayed with toxic chemicals.

When preparing your asparagus, some people choose not to peel the bottom. This is not the recipe to skip this step. You don’t want to have a tough/stringy bite beneath the crispy prosciutto. 

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Makes 22 pieces

Ingredients: 
11 slices Prosciutto Di Parma
Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated
Zest of 1-2 organic lemons
22 Asparagus spears
Extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400*. To prepare your asparagus, rinse them under cold water. Snap off the tough base. (Save for vegetable stock!) Using a vegetable peeler, peel the bottom half of each stalk.
2. Lay out the prosciutto on a large cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut each slice down the middle length-wise.
3. Using a zester, grate a thin layer of Parmigiano Reggiano over all, then the lemon zest.
4. Starting at the base of the asparagus and the base of one half slice of prosciutto, diagonally roll the prosciutto around the asparagus. It should end just before the asparagus tip*. Place the wrapped asparagus on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat until finished.
5. Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 8-10 minutes in 400* oven until prosciutto is crisp and asparagus is cooked through. 

Serve on a platter and don’t be surprised when it is requested that you make more!

I had to go shopping and remake this whole recipe as it was finished so quickly, I never got to take a picture of the final product. My husband was not mad!

*You can see a video example of this on my Instagram page.