Grilled Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

  Posted on September 22, 2009  by Leslie Blythe  1 comment

Searing Spears (not Britney!)

I know this is sort of the end of the grilling season for a lot of you, but living in Southern California, it never ends.  I love it when you can have everything ready in the morning for the evening BBQ.  I usually just throw on a mix of vegetables in my grilling wok, but I’m a bit tired of the same old thing.  The following recipe is for grilled asparagus, which is elegant and delicious.   If you can’t grill them, you could put them under the broiler.

Did you know that it is proper etiquette to eat asparagus spears (without a sauce!) with your hands?  Yes, even the Queen knows this.  This bit of advice will come in quite handy the next time you are invited to dinner at Buckingham Palace.

Grilled Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

Serves 4

1 lb asparagus, trimmed
16 slices prosciutto
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano, shaved

Trim asparagus of tough ends. Wrap asparagus in damp paper towels and place in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove and place into an ice water bath to cool.

Once cooled, pat dry with paper towels, drizzle with a touch of extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the asparagus with slices of prosciutto.

Heat grill to medium high.

Place asparagus on grill, turning occasional, until prosciutto is crisp and spears are tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Remove from grill and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Also great served chilled as an appetizer.