Pesto And Prosciutto Asparagus Recipes

PESTO AND PROSCIUTTO ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the prosciutto slices in a single layer on the parchment, without touching. Bake until crispy and fragrant, flipping halfway through, 18 minutes. Cool completely on the tray, then remove to a plate.
• Preheat a grill pan to medium heat. Remove the parchment from the prosciutto tray and place the asparagus on the tray. Drizzle with the pesto, season with the salt, and toss well to coat. Place the asparagus on the hot grill pan and cook, turning once, until the asparagus has nice golden grill marks and is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 6 minutes. Transfer the asparagus to a platter, crumble the prosciutto over the top, and break the Parmesan shavings over the prosciutto. Serve warm.

PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the prosciutto in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it renders some fat and begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until the garlic just begins to soften, about 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the wine. Return to the heat and cook until the wine evaporates slightly, about 2 more minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Add the cream and nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as the label directs, adding the asparagus during the last minute of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and asparagus.
• Add the cheese to the cream sauce and stir to combine. Add the pasta and asparagus and toss to coat, adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and top with more cheese.

SPINACH-RICOTTA PESTO PASTA WITH CRISP PROSCIUTTO AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. When it boils, add pasta and cook as indicated on box.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it shimmers, add prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, until prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and toss to coat evenly. Let cook until asparagus just starts to get browned on the edges, about 3 minutes.
• Remove 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add a few tablespoons of the water to the asparagus mixture, stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate browned bits, and remove from heat. Drain pasta and return to pot (off heat), add remaining reserved pasta cooking water, asparagus, Spinach-Ricotta Dip, and stir until thoroughly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired. Serve immediately.
• In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add pine nuts and cook until they make a popping noise and start to brown, about 1 minute. Stir in garlic and onion and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to a food processor fitted with a blade, add in remaining ingredients, and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, as necessary.

ASPARAGUS PESTO WITH TINY POTATOES AND PASTA

Steps:

• Pesto:
• Cut the cooked asparagus spears into thirds. Put in a food processor with the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Keep in mind you will add Parmesan as well, so be careful not to oversalt. With the machine running, slowly add the cup of olive oil. When the sauce is about the consistency of mayonnaise, it has enough oil. Pulse in the Parmesan. Thin with water if necessary to achieve a slick, saucy pesto. Scrape into a bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate until needed. You should have about 3 cups. (Keeps about 2 to 3 days, refrigerated.)
• Put the potatoes in a pan of salted cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and let cool for a few minutes. If the potatoes are larger than about 1/2 inch in diameter, cut in half.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the potatoes and cook until browned and crispy all over, about 5 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Keep warm. Add basil, toss with potatoes and set aside.
• While the potatoes are browning, return the water used for cooking the asparagus, if reserved, to a boil or brint a new pot of water to a boil. Add more salt and the pasta and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain through a colander, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Pour the pasta into a warm serving bowl, add the potatoes, about 1 cup of the asparagus pesto, several twists of pepper, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Toss well, thinning with the pasta cooking water as necessary.
• Dust with a light grating of Parmesan (a microplane grater works well for this) before serving and pass the remaining cheese and a bowl of pesto at the table.

ASPARAGUS PESTO

Steps:

• Cut the cooked asparagus spears into thirds. Put in a food processor with the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Keep in mind you will add Parmesan as well, so be careful not to oversalt. With the machine running, slowly add the cup of olive oil. When the sauce is about the consistency of mayonnaise, it has enough oil. Pulse in the Parmesan. Thin with water, if necessary, to achieve a slick, saucy pesto. Scrape into a bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate until needed. You should have about 3 cups. (Keeps about 2 to 3 days, refrigerated.)
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