Description
Ina Garten’s prosciutto wrapped asparagus recipe delivers an elegant appetizer perfect for sophisticated gatherings. Crisp asparagus spears enveloped in salty prosciutto create a simple yet impressive starter you’ll want to serve at your next event.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lb/907 g medium-sized asparagus, bottom thirds discarded
- 6 slices Italian prosciutto
- 2 oz/57 g grated Gruyère cheese
- 3 tbsps/45 ml good olive oil (divided)
- 1 tbsp/15 g kosher salt (for boiling water, additional for seasoning)
- 2 tbsps/30 g white truffle butter
- 0.75 tsp/3.75 ml fleur de sel
- 0.5 tsp/2.5 ml freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Blanching: Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a vigorous boil. For thicker asparagus stalks, use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layer from the bottom half of each spear.
- Cooling: Plunge the asparagus into boiling water for 2 minutes, maintaining its vibrant green color. Immediately transfer to an ice water bath to halt cooking, then drain and thoroughly pat dry.
- Bundling: Gather 6 to 8 asparagus spears with aligned tips and securely wrap each bundle with a prosciutto slice around the middle.
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Brush a rectangular baking dish with olive oil and arrange the asparagus bundles seam-side down.
- Seasoning: Warm truffle butter and additional olive oil until melted. Drizzle the mixture over the bundles, then generously sprinkle with fleur de sel, freshly ground black pepper, and grated Gruyère cheese.
- Baking: Roast in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes until the butter sizzles and the cheese turns golden-brown and melts.
- Serving: Remove from the oven and serve immediately while hot, savoring the aromatic and elegant presentation.
Notes
- Blanching Technique: Precisely cook asparagus for 2 minutes to maintain vibrant green color and crisp texture, then immediately shock in ice water to stop cooking process.
- Asparagus Prep: Trim thick stalks using a vegetable peeler to remove tough outer layer, ensuring even cooking and tender texture throughout.
- Prosciutto Wrapping: Create tight bundles of 6-8 asparagus spears, aligning tips and wrapping securely with prosciutto slice to achieve elegant presentation and consistent cooking.
- Flavor Enhancement: Drizzle truffle butter and olive oil mixture before baking, then top with fleur de sel, black pepper, and Gruyère cheese to elevate the dish’s richness and depth of flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 196
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 745 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg