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Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus is incredibly simple to throw together and perfect in the oven or on the grill!
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus is incredibly simple to throw together and perfect in the oven or on the grill!

You all know how much I adore simple recipes that pack a ton of flavor with minimal effort. Enter Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus.

It just might be the perfect appetizer. And side dish. And snack!

It’s just two ingredients – prosciutto and asparagus – plus a tiny amount of olive oil, salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Prosciutto can be on the pricey side but the good news is that you don’t need much to wrap each spear; I slice it lengthwise into quarters or thirds, depending on how wide each slice is. You don’t want the prosciutto to overlap because the thinner it is, the crispier it will get.

And crispy prosciutto is even better than rainbows and lollipops combined.

So slice it into strips, wrap it thin (so it just barely overlaps) and you not only won’t need as much prosciutto, it’ll actually taste better, too.

I’ve been making Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus for so long now that I’ve pretty much got it down to a science. In the summer, I’ll toss it on the grill. When it’s not grilling season, I’ll use my oven.

I used to put it on a baking sheet and roast it the same way I make simple roasted asparagus. The problem is similar to when you cook bacon this way: it gets too greasy and the bottom doesn’t crisp. So I started using a broiler pan to roast it, which was better but still didn’t make my Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus as crispy as I like it; the asparagus would cook to the perfect crisp-tender texture before the prosciutto was cooked enough.

Last spring, before the weather was warm enough to drag the grill out for the season, I decided to try broiling it. Bingo! That worked like a charm. The trick is to keep watch after about 5 minutes to make sure you catch it just at the right time. It usually takes about 7 minutes before it’s perfectly cooked, but be sure to watch carefully as the thickness of your spears will affect cooking time. I like to give the pan a good shake halfway through cooking, too, so it’s crispy all around!

One final tip: this is an easy dish because it still tastes great at room temperature. But allow the cooked spears to rest for a minute on paper towels to soak up any grease before transferring them to your serving plate. You’ll have perfectly crispy Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus in no time!

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus is incredibly simple to throw together and perfect in the oven or on the grill!

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus - perfect every time!

Yield: 0
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 17 minutes

Prosciutto buying tip: I've found that it's much cheaper to have your prosciutto sliced very thinly at the deli counter than to purchase an already prepared package. In my area, I'll typically get twice the amount of prosciutto this way!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh asparagus, washed and ends trimmed
  • 1/2 pound prosciutto, sliced into strips lengthwise (about an inch wide per strip)
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat broiler to high.
  2. Wrap each asparagus spear with a thin slice of prosciutto, barely overlapping ends until it's covered down to the cut end (leave the tip exposed). Place wrapped spears on a baking sheet, leaving a small amount of space between each one (so the sides crisp, not just the top). You may need two baking sheets or to broil in two batches, if necessary.
  3. Place under broiler and cook spears for 6-8 minutes, shaking pan to turn spears halfway through cooking. Remove from oven, allow to rest for about a minute on paper towels, then transfer to a serving tray.
  4. To grill: Place wrapped spears on hot grill and cook until prosciutto is crispy and asparagus is just cooked through to a crisp-tender texture (about the same cooking time as broiling).
Kristy Bernardo
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Anne Borg

Monday 4th of April 2016

It's easy, time-efficient and very tasty! Great appetizer or snack!

Kristy Bernardo

Monday 4th of April 2016

Thanks, Anne!

Rulouri

Tuesday 16th of June 2015

Simple and tasty recipe!

Daniela

Sunday 24th of May 2015

Fresh and summerly- a perfect dish to celebrate the season.

Kristy Bernardo

Wednesday 17th of June 2015

And easy - just how I like it :) Thanks, Daniela!

Mary Frances

Wednesday 20th of May 2015

Agreed. Way better than lollipops and rainbows combined! They look delicious.

Kristy Bernardo

Thursday 21st of May 2015

Thank you, Mary Frances! :-)

Kristen Chidsey

Saturday 18th of April 2015

Simple perfection that can not be beat! One of my favorite dishes.

Kristy Bernardo

Wednesday 29th of April 2015

Mine too! Thanks, Kristen :)

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