Roasted Asparagus with Prosciutto

Here’sa recipe for roasted asparagus with prosciutto that we ran in Yankee back in 2005 and I still find myself turning to it when the local asparagus is back in the markets. It makes a very simple appetizer with a great presentation, and people love how the salty prosciutto balances out the natural sweetness of the cooked asparagus. Now I’ve discovered an even easier way to make it. The original recipe calls for par-cooking the asparagus (boiling it until it is crisp-tender, then quickly cooling it in an ice bath) before you wrap each spear in a small piece of prosciutto and roast it at 400° for 15 minutes. However, I find that the recipe works just as well if you simply wrap the raw asparagus in prosciutto and broil it on both sides for 6 to 8 minutes total. No need to even boil water! Here’s my revised version.

Quick Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosiutto

Ingredients 1 pounds asparagus, (about 20 spears) 1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise Olive oil Freshly ground black pepper Freshly grated lemon zest Method Preheat your broiler on high and set a rack 4 to 6 inches below the heating element. Line a baking sheet with foil. Wrap each asparagus spear in a piece of prosciutto and transfer to the baking sheet (the meat tends to stick to itself, so just lay the spears seam-side down and it will stay). Drizzle the spears with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper. Transfer to the oven and broil on one side until the prosciutto shrinks and crisps and the asparagus begins to wilt, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven and turn each spear seam-side up. Broil on the other side until crisp, 3 to 4 more minutes. Garnish with lemon  zest and serve immediately. Yield: 20 spears, 6 to 8 servings View the Original Recipe for Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosiutto Save the Recipe for Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosiutto in Your Recipe Box