Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, roasted in the oven until crisp, is such an easy way to make your asparagus extra special. Great for Easter, Mother’s Day, or any spring meal!
Whenever I’m in the mood to give oven-roasted asparagus a little pizzazz – for Easter brunch or Mother’s Day, for instance — I wrap thin slices of prosciutto around the asparagus spears. This is such an easy way to make the roasted asparagus look fancy!
I also love how the salty flavors of the prosciutto complement the subtly sweet flavor of roasted asparagus.
For this dish, look for asparagus spears that are pretty thick (about 16 to 18 spears per pound). Thin asparagus spears are more difficult to wrap with the prosciutto and tend to dry out too easily in the oven.
To prepare the asparagus, snap off the rough, woody ends at the bottom of the spears. Sometimes, I’ll snap off as much as an inch and a half of the asparagus.
I don’t like seeing food go to waste, so usually save these piece for a stir-fry. (Peel off the rough exterior with a paring knife or vegetable peeler, then slice them into ½-inch pieces.)
Packaged prosciutto is usually sliced very thinly, so you may find that the slices rip apart as you take them out of the package. Don’t stress about it too much. Even a little torn, the prosciutto will still look great after cooking. If any pieces tear too much to use, you can just eat them as a snack!
I prefer serving the asparagus while it is still vibrant green, so I pull it out of the oven after 8 or 9 minutes of roasting. If you want the spears and prosciutto to be more crisp, leave the asparagus in the oven for a few minutes longer.
Sprinkle the roasted asparagus with lemon zest and freshly grated parmesan for extra flavor!
How to make prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus
Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Recipe
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prosciutto is naturally salty, so you shouldn’t need to add any more salt to the asparagus.
If you want to make a bigger batch, just double up the ingredients in the recipe and use 2 large baking sheets for roasting.
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus, preferably thick spears
- 3 to 3 1/2 ounces sliced prosciutto
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Ground black pepper
- Lemon zest, optional
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Method
1 Heat the oven to 400F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2 Prepare the asparagus: Rinse and pat dry the asparagus. Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. Set asparagus spears aside. (Reserve the snapped ends for another meal, if you like.)
3 Wrap the asparagus with prosciutto: Cut prosciutto slices in half down their length. Wrap each spear of asparagus with one strip of sliced prosciutto. Tug the prosciutto a little as you wrap it around the asparagus to give it tension. This helps to ensure that the prosciutto wraps around the asparagus tightly.
Lay the wrapped asparagus spears on the lined sheet pan.
4 Drizzle the asparagus with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle a pinch of black pepper on top.
5 Bake the asparagus for 8 to 10 minutes. When done, the asparagus will be bright green and easily pierced with a fork, and the prosciutto will be crisped around the edges.
6 Serve the asparagus. Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter. Top with lemon zest and freshly grated parmesan cheese, if using. Serve immediately while hot.
