The first time I made this appetizer, there was a giant blizzard moving into southeastern Michigan. I was going to our good family friend’s house for dinner, and I knew that each minute more I spent on making this new dish would equate to several minutes of additional drive time in the snow. And I wasn’t to be late. It was not the prettiest presentation of this recipe that night, but the flavors were right on. I still was late, but was forgiven for providing such a delicious starter. I’ve since learned to provide a little more time to wrap each asparagus. As for the measurements, I eyeball it for all of the ingredients – you really can’t go wrong!
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons EVOO
- Package of Prosciutto
- Creamy Goat Cheese
- ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tbls Dijon Mustard
- 2 Garlic Cloves, finely minced
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the asparagus stalks on a diagonal into 2-inch pieces (you could also leave longer; just be sure to break-off the hard ends). In a separate bowl, whisk the olive oil slowly into the balsamic until it emulsifies. Then whisk in the dijon mustard and minced garlic. In a roasting pan or sheet, toss the asparagus with olive oil/balsamic until coated. Spread asparagus out in a single layer, if possible. Roast asparagus for 6 minutes until tender. Season with salt & pepper and set aside.
Slice the prosciutto into strips 1/2 an inch wide and 2 inches long – it will need to wrap around each piece of asparagus. Dab a bit of the goat cheese in the middle of each strip of prosciutto. Place a piece of asparagus on top of the cheese and wrap the prosciutto around the asparagus. Repeat for each piece. If desired, it can be placed back in the oven for a few minutes to crisp the prosciutto, or can be served at room temperature.