Prosciutto Wrapped Roasted Asparagus
Prosciutto Wrapped Roasted Asparagus- Fresh asparagus is wrapped with goat cheese schmeared prosciutto, roasted til crisp, then finished with tangy balsamic glaze.
June 12, 2023 by Nicole Collins
Today, we’re making Prosciutto Wrapped Roasted Asparagus!
I made my first farmer’s market trip of the season a couple weekends ago. And though it’s still early for all the good summer produce, I was on a mission to find one particular spring vegetable. Asparagus.
I found it! And, we’re using that asparagus to make the most delicious side dish. We’re going to wrap the asparagus with thin prosciutto slices that have been schmeared with goat cheese. We’ll roast them until the veggies are tender and the prosciutto is crisp. Then, we’ll finish the plate with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Does that sound like heaven, or what?
Let’s talk asparagus. We want to use thicker spears of asparagus for this recipe so that they can handle a little extra time in the oven. Since we’re wrapping these in prosciutto, we want to give the prosciutto the time it needs in the oven to get nice and crisp. But, we don’t want to overcook our asparagus to mush in the process. If you’re unable to find thicker asparagus, don’t sacrifice the asparagus for the prosciutto. Adjust the cooking time down a little bit to account for the smaller asparagus. The meat will be fine…just not quite as crisp.
To create a yummy blanket to wrap around our asparagus, we’re going to use some goat cheese and some prosciutto. We’ll cut pieces or prosciutto in half to make a little square, then we’ll schmear a little dollop of creamy goat cheese over the surface of the prosciutto. We’ll season the goat cheese with a little pinch of black pepper, and it’s ready to wrap around the center of an asparagus spear. Now one thing to note, I recommend using cold prosciutto and room temperature goat cheese. Softer goat cheese is a little easier to spread, and cold prosciutto is a little more stable and not as easy to tear. Prosciutto is pretty delicate, after all, so we want to set ourselves up for success to keep it from ripping.
After all of our asparagus spears are wrapped, we’ll pop them on a parchment lined baking sheet then roast them until the veggies are fork tender and the meat is crisp. The prosciutto will continue to crisp up a little as it rests too. Then to finish the dish, we’ll transfer the asparagus to a serving platter, sprinkle it with a shake of freshly grated parmesan cheese, then drizzle it all over with a sweet and tangy balsamic glaze. And that’s all there is to it.
Easy breezy!
This dish is bursting with flavor from all directions. From the astringent asparagus to the savory prosciutto to the creamy goat cheese to the sweet and tangy glaze…all of the elements of taste are celebrated. And while these are a great side dish, I served leftovers in an eggs benedict; and they were just as big of a hit the second time around. So, there’s your hot tip of the day!
Okie dokes! Tell me what you’re looking forward to seeing the most at the farmer’s markets this year. I’m REALLY hoping to find squash blossoms this year.
I hope you guys enjoy. And, let’s eat!
Prosciutto Wrapped Roasted Asparagus
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
12 thick asparagus spears (just under a pound), woody ends snapped off
6 slices prosciutto, cold
3 oz goat cheese, softened to room temp
Black pepper, to taste
1-2 tbsp olive oil, for drizzling
½ tbsp grated parmesan
Balsamic glaze, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut each slice of prosciutto in half, widthwise. Take about 1 tsp of goat cheese, and carefully schmear it over the surface of each prosciutto half. Season goat cheese with a pinch of black pepper.
Place an asparagus spear at the edge of one prosciutto half, roll tightly to wrap the asparagus with prosciutto. Place on prepared baking sheet, and repeat with remaining prosciutto spears. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil, making sure to drizzle over both the asparagus and the prosciutto. Bake for 10-15 mins until the asparagus is fork tender and the prosciutto has started to crisp up.
Transfer prosciutto to a serving platter. Finish by sprinkling with grated parmesan and a drizzling of balsamic glaze, to taste. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*I prefer my prosciutto to be crispier, so I like to leave these in the oven for 15 minutes. However, it’s important to use thicker asparagus spears that can hold up to the longer cooking time. If your asparagus is skinnier or if you like a firmer vegetable, only roast for 10 mins.
*It helps to work with cold prosciutto straight from the fridge and room temp goat cheese. The prosciutto is delicate, so colder prosciutto and softened goat cheese helps to minimize tearing when we’re spreading the goat cheese on the prosciutto.
*To remove the woody ends from the asparagus, gently bend it, and it will naturally snap in half right at the area that needs to come off. Just discard the ends.
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