Puff Pastry, Prosciutto & Parmesan Asparagus Bundles
Springtime is officially here and I couldn’t be more excited! Tons of fruits and veggies are in season, bringing tons of new possibilities in the kitchen. Whether you are looking for lighter meals or dishes for Easter entertaining, I have an amazing recipe for you. I was really hopeful about this one when I dumped it in the oven - the flavor profiles are perfect together. But when these asparagus bundles came out of the oven; toasty, perfectly salty and tender, wrapped in delicate puff pastry, I was honestly a little overwhelmed. This is one of my favorite things I’ve ever made or blogged. They are unbelievably easy to make, take minimal time to bake up, and are delicious.
I love asparagus. They are delicious on their own, or roasted with some olive oil, salt, pepper, parmesan, and lemon. But what about wrapping a few tender stalks in salty prosciutto, add a few shavings of nutty Parmesan cheese, and tuck it into a flaky blanket of puff pastry? It’s basically heaven. They are portable, don’t fall apart when eaten, and are gorgeous for entertaining. They’d be perfect for a spring or Easter potluck, and are pretty easy on the wallet if you find well-priced prosciutto, pancetta, or even ham. I’m going to apologize ahead of time for the sheer volume of photos in this post - I couldn’t get enough of how gorgeous they turned out! :) Let’s get cookin!
What You Need: (Yields 6 Bundles)
- 1 bunch of asparagus - I like the Organic Trimmed Asparagus packs at TJ’s - They are the perfect size stalk that can cook thru in the oven by the time the puff pastry bakes. One package was perfect for 6 bundles of 3 stalks each.
- 1 sheet of puff pastry - Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets come in a box of 2 sheets.
- Prosciutto, pancetta, or even ham (1 slice per bundle) TJ’s has great prosciutto - well priced and delicious
- Parmesan - you can opt for shredded or a nice wedge of Parmesan Reggiano, whichever is more readily available. Bel Gioioso is absolutely delicious. Meaning I ate shavings right off the block as I waited for the bundles to bake.
- Olive oil, salt, pepper
- An egg for egg wash
- Preheat your oven to 425F.
- Wash and dry your asparagus. Remove the woody ends. Yes, I trim them even though TJ’s claims to have trimmed the ends!
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, unfold one sheet of puff pastry. Use a paring knife to divide the puff pastry into even squares.
- Toss the asparagus in a bit of olive oil and season them in salt and pepper. I had forgotten to do this until after they were wrapped up, so you’ll see me season them later and that’s alright as well.
- If you’ve bought a wedge of Parmesan, shave off a few pieces.
- To make a bundle, place a square of puff pastry onto the lined sheet pan, with a corner pointing upwards, so it’s laying like a diamond. Take about 3 stalks of asparagus and wrap them rather tightly in a piece of prosciutto. Before letting the end of the prosciutto overlap itself, place a few shavings of Parmesan inside. Or, sprinkle some shredded Parmesan and close up the prosciutto. Place the prosciutto wrapped asparagus onto the square of puff pastry, with the tips of the asparagus pointing upwards with the top corner of the puff pastry. Wrap the puff pastry around the asparagus and lightly press it shut.
- Lightly beat an egg and brush the puff pastry with the egg wash.
- If you didn’t toss the asparagus in olive oil before, you can brush them with olive oil and season them now.
- Bake them in the oven until the puff pastry is golden and puffed, about 12-14 minutes. The asparagus should be tender and the puff pastry should be nice and toasty. Serve them immediately.
The puff pastry turns out buttery and perfectly flakey, holding together the bright asparagus and crisped up prosciutto. The nuttiness of the Parmesan is the perfect complement to it all. These are just so yummy!
Think about how gorgeous they’d look on a buffet line or at brunch.
I am soo happy with how these turned out - definitely making them for the next potluck I attend! Thank you so much for reading! If you’ve tried any of my recipes, please feel free to shoot me a message, or take a pic and share :) Tag me @bac_blog, @stephaniejung, or #brokeandcooking! :) <3