Asparagus spears wrapped in prosciutto and phyllo dough are one of my favorite appetizers. Asparagus is so good right now and I want to enjoy it as many ways as possible during its short season and this one is a favorite. This isn’t a strict recipe but rather a starting point for how creative you want to be. And one of the best parts is that it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until right before you want to serve it!
Proscuitto Wrapped Asparagus with Crispy Phyllo
After the asparagus is blanched and cooled wrap each spear in a small piece of prosciutto or deli ham. You could add a dab of Dijon mustard or spread a teaspoon of goat cheese on the spear before you wrap it if you want to get fancy. Snugly wrap the phyllo pastry around the asparagus and brush with melted butter to seal well. Just a little bit – it doesn’t take a lot.
Bake the rolls until they are golden brown and crispy. I could have given mine another few minutes but they were delicious as was. Serve several rolls with a salad for a nice light entree or cut them in half and pass with a little bowl of honey mustard dipping sauce (a tablespoon or 2 of honey mustard thinned with a little olive oil and vinegar) for a fun and different hors d’oeuvres. These are lovely as a first course with a crisp glass of an Oregon white wine.
- 24 large asparagus spears
- ½ pound prosciutto or very thinly sliced deli ham
- 1 package phyllo pastry
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Trim asparagus spears to about 7" long. Peel the bottom 3-4 inches of the spear with a potato peeler. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the spears for 30 seconds. They cook in the oven so this is all the time they need. Remove from the water and cool on a wire rack or plate.
- When spears are cool, snugly wrap each one in a small piece of ham.
- Open the pastry sheets and remove one at a time from the packet. Cut the sheets in half on the narrow side. Brush lightly with butter. Lay an asparagus spear on the pastry. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese and a bit of black pepper. I didn't add any salt because there is plenty in the ham and cheese. Roll as securely as possible and place on a baking tray. Repeat with remaining asparagus. Brush rolls with a little more melted butter and sprinkle with a pinch of Parmesan cheese. Refrigerate tray until ready to bake. These can be made in advance. Just cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready for them.
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Pile the spears on a plate and serve warm.
This post is linked to Foodie Friday at Ratttlebridge Farm.
This is a fabulous idea— I love how this concept could be adapted for so many different things. I’m having a small party here tonight and I wish i had read this yesterday!
What a delicious idea. It looks and sounds so good. I’ve used phyllo with everything but asparagus and your dipping sauce sounds extra yummy too.
renee recently posted..Magical Muffins
Oh my heck! This looks absolutely amazing! I’m addicted to asparagus and this just looks wonderful. I’d eat these as a meal all by themselves.
Erin @ Making Memories recently posted..Omaha Steaks Giveaway for Dad
How unique and perfect for asparagus. We love it so I will have to try this recipe. The farmers market here just opened yesterday, advertising fresh asparagus!
Pam recently posted..Scrummy Country Club Chicken is a Hit Here!
A wonderful appetizer!
Cherine recently posted..Banana Molasses Cake
I am pretty sure prosciutto wrapped around most things is delicious, but asparagus is one of my favorite veggies. This looks awesome.
Rhonda (@diningalone) recently posted..The Best Thing I Ever Ate – Appetizer
Cathy, your asparagus in phyllo look so good. I made something similar with goat cheese. But I love the idea of making them again with prosciutto.
Ann recently posted..Osso Buco
This would be perfect for a teaparty. I must try it soon.
Marilyn recently posted..Bishop’s Castle
What sweet little things:)I agree with the above post the dipping sauce ..is like the strand of pearls..Just finishes it off so nicely.W the chives:)
Monique recently posted..Deliciousness~ Scallops~
I’ve made a recipe like this before and it was delicious! Great combo of flavors 🙂
Virtually Homemade – Liz recently posted..Bacon Wrapped – Chicken Tenders
Love the addition of phyllo to something I already like. BTW, we had the country club chicken last night and it was a great success.
Linda recently posted..Transitions
These look divine! They would disappear very quickly around here- everyone loves asparagus. 🙂
Betty recently posted..Honey Apricot Bran Muffins
My cousin made this at Christmas and we all loved it.
Arlene recently posted..Going Crazy under the Sea
So easy – they look delicious!
Karen recently posted..Lemon-Zuccchini Bread
Yay! One more tapas idea for our TGIF parties outside. It will pair perfectly with our California wine.
🙂
Foodiewife recently posted..Buttermint Ice Cream with White Chocolate …and a Jeni’s Ice Cream Giveaway!
They look amazing! I have done this with puff pastry, but never phyllo. Need to try it, thanks!
Kathleen recently posted..A Serious Bunch of Ugly~ Any Ideas?
Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto has always been one of my favorites, but adding the phyllo sounds even better! Definitely need to try this.
Becki’s Whole Life recently posted..Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo
This is one of the prettiest appetizers there is. Love the chive blossom you’ve used Cathy. I’m pinning this.
Sam
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen recently posted..An Authentic Cajun Crawfish Boil at the Lake
I love these phyllo rolls! Yummy!
Angie@Angie’s Recipes recently posted..Pasta with Green Asparagus and Black Olives
Oh my, these look so good Cathy. We love asparagus, so these will be a real treat!
Lynda recently posted..Baked Zucchini Wedges and Sweet Onion Dip
You are so right, such great asparagus right now! In fact, i have some in my fridge as we speak. My mind is reeling with a variation on this involving my flatbread dough recipe, mustard, parmigiana cheese and ham…. all in my fridge!
I am wondering… Why blanch them???
GREAT inspiring post and will let you know how my take comes out
Dave
Inspired by eRecipeCards.com recently posted..Let Them Eat Quiche – Spicy Salami, Tomatoes and Sweet banana Peppers
Hi Dave – I have always blanched the large stalks when I use them in stir-fry or baking because I think it helps preserve their nice green color and ensures that the stalks are tender. It’s the way my mother prepared it and I do it the same way. I haven’t tried leaving that step out. I’ll experiment one of these days to see if it makes a difference.
Cathy recently posted..Lemon Strawberry Crepes ~ Farmers’ Market Style
Beautiful Cathy! I love having a box of phyllo dough and/or puff pastry in my freezer – there’s a zillion yummy things to do with them, this being one of them, YUM!
The Café Sucré Farine recently posted..Snicker-doodles from London’s Famous Hummingbird Cupcake Shop & Loving Life in London …….. with Lilly!
A friend of mine makes something similar and they are always the first thing on the buffet table to go.
ciaochowlinda recently posted..Torta di Polpettini – Meatball quiche
I was just getting ready to comment when I saw your last post for Country Club Chicken. That is a family favorite now. Thanks for the shout out!
I made some of these a while ago and practically ate the whole batch myself! These are the most fabulous way to eat asparagus. I definitely need to make them again and try the dipping sauce!
Easy as could be and looks lovely (and yummy as well). –Joann
I think I could even get my oldest son to eat asparagus if I prepared it like this 🙂
Magic of Spice recently posted..What’s for snack time? Smoked Fontina Crostini with Summer Salsa
Wow these look great! I love asparagus. What a great appetizer or party dish!
Hey Cathy… are your ears burning? You were talked about today over on my blog… I made my very rustic almost unrecognizable version of this dish. Made more of a sandwich, but the basic idea was yours. Plenty of linky love…
http://erecipecards.blogspot.com/2012/06/asparagus-ham-and-cheese-pizza-wrap.html
Thanks for the inspiration. Made a GREAT snack for a road trip and a wonderful way to use up some ingredients that were going to go bad before we left
Dave
Inspired by eRecipeCards.com recently posted..Asparagus Ham and Cheese Pizza Wrap
I just made these and they were a hit…Wasn’t smart enough to make a sauce, but thanks for the idea!
http://dellacucinapovera.com/2012/09/03/phyllo-wrapped-asparagus-with-prosciutto/