Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Bite-size bundles of roasted asparagus wrapped with prosciutto and sweetened with a peach jam glaze.

Asparagus is such a versatile veggie. Steamed, roasted, grilled, blanched, deep-fried, stir fried…the possibilities seem endless. So, I wanted to come up with something for the appetizer tray. I made these for a Valentine’s dinner and everyone enjoyed it during cocktail hour. Since it was a test, I didn’t make a ton of them and I should have because they went like hotcakes.

Where did that saying come from anyway?  

Okay…just looked it up. Some say it comes from Britain, Canada, and Australia when pancakes were eaten the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent because fat, butter and other good stuff that folks were going to deny themselves of during Lent were eaten. I guess that’s when pancakes went flying off the tables. Interesting, huh.

Anyway, back to my appie, I wanted to use my homemade apricot jam, but Kerry said he had the last of it for breakfast on his toast. But I still had some homemade peach jam, so close enough. I believe the peach is a skosh sweeter than apricot, so if you want a bit more tartness, go with my original plan.

If you’re going to use these on your party palette, use asparagus that are pencil thin. That way, when you roll up three of four of them, they will be dainty and bite-size. These days you can find asparagus that are big as man fingers, and those will be too too big. Of course, if you want these as a side dish, you could use the really thick asparagus, cut them longer, and wrap a wider piece of prosciutto around them. See how versatile they are? 

Makes about 12

• 14 to 15 asparagus spears - pencil thin size
• About 4 to 5 pieces of prosciutto, sliced very thin
• Peach jam

Cut the asparagus into pieces two inches long. If they’re very thin, bundle four of them together, three if they’re thicker.

Cut the thin prosciutto slices into thirds, length-wise. Prosciutto slices come in varied sizes, so you’ll have to use your judgement here. You may or may not get three pieces per prosciutto slice.   

Wrap the prosciutto around the asparagus bundles. Place on parchment lined pan, seam side down. Brush with jam.

Roast at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes and asparagus is tender. Add picks to serve.

Serve hot.