Crispy Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Crispy Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus ~ prosciutto wrapped around fresh asparagus, pan sautéed crisping the prosciutto and cooking the asparagus to tender perfection.

It may be mistletoe, egg nog, holiday cookies and ugly Christmas sweaters for now but New Year’s Eve will be here before we know it.

Last year I had a bright idea that we should go out for dinner, so we ditched our comfy pants and fuzzy slippers and embarked on our favorite neighborhood restaurant only to find our waitress frazzled, the place packed and the food not at all the quality we had come to expect there. 

This year we’ll ring in the new year with a delicious home cooked meal including Crispy Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus ~ thin sliced prosciutto wrapped around fresh asparagus spears pan sautéed crisping the prosciutto and cooking the asparagus until tender ~ and of course good company too because isn’t that what the best celebrations are about?

When our kids were young, New Year’s Eve meant a loud neighborhood party with all the kids, sometimes ice skating behind the house, sparklers, a kid friendly menu that included pizza or chicken nuggets and some adult beverages as well. 

Maybe you’re celebrating with a similar menu. Or maybe you’re reading this before Christmas and looking for that one recipe that’ll make your meal extra special. Crispy Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus is just the ticket. It’s elegant without being labor intensive, simple to assemble and cook and is deliciously impressive as both a side dish or an appetizer.

This time of year I just can’t make one more trip to the store, so I decided to see what I already had on hand to create an easy recipe to share. Turns out I had both prosciutto and asparagus from a trip to the grocery store several days ago and Crispy Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus was the obvious answer.

Crispy Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus makes a delicious side with both meat and seafood and if you’re serving it as an appetizer, I highly recommend a simple, 3-ingredient Lemon Garlic Aioli for dipping this asparagus or even fresh cooked shrimp.

Crispy Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Ingredients:

• 6 slices of prosciutto
• 12 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed (see below)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• Optional garnish: fresh lemon zest

Instructions:

Start by prepping the asparagus for cooking by removing the blunt end. Some people describe the taste of that end as  “woody” and though I’m not sure what that means, I know it just doesn’t taste good.

Removing the ends is easy. It’s a simple bend and snap movement, nothing like the scene in the Legally Blond movie with “an 83% rate of return on a dinner invitation”.

Hold the stalk in your hands, bending the ends together until it snaps, breaking exactly where you need it to. It usually takes an inch or so off the blunt end.

After the asparagus is prepped, wrap half of one slice of prosciutto around each asparagus spear working at an angle covering the length of the spear then gently press the spear to seal the prosciutto against the asparagus. Repeat until they’re all the spears are covered.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the prosciutto wrapped spears and cook until the prosciutto is crisp and asparagus is tender, rolling them as they cook so they crisp all the way around. Cooking time will vary depending upon the size of the asparagus spears, but about 3-5 minutes.  

Serve warm and if you’d like garnish with a little lemon zest. 

Here’s the easy 3-ingredient Lemon Garlic Aioli:

Lemon Garlic Aioli

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Blend the aioli ingredients together and refrigerate. Before serving top with fresh cracked black pepper. 

Another new recipe to try over the holiday is Mushroom Brie Bisque. Creamy, earthy delicious and ideal for Meatless Mondays. Enjoy!

If you tried this recipe or any other on the blog, don’t forget to leave a comment or star rating ~ I love hearing from you!

You can also LIKE ME on FACEBOOK, FOLLOW along on TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST and SUBSCRIBE ⇓ for all the latest. 

Crispy Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Tender fresh stalks of asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, quick sauteed until crisp. Serve with the easy lemon aioli shown. 

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 6 slices prosciutto
• 12 asparagus spears trimmed (see below)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• Optional garnish: fresh lemon zest

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Prep the asparagus by removing the blunt ends (bend and snap).
• Wrap half of one slice of prosciutto around each asparagus spear at an angle covering the length of the spear.
• Repeat until all spears are covered.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the prosciutto wrapped aparagus spears and cook until the prosciutto is crisp and asparagus is tender. Time will vary depending upon the size of the asparagus spears, but approximately 3-5 minutes.
• Lemon Garlic Aioli
• Blend 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and refrigerate. Top with fresh cracked black pepper before serving.