This weekend marked that time of year where for most of the country clocks moved ahead one hour, bringing a smile to our faces for those extra moments of sunshine that each new day will bring.  March 20, 2010 is the ‘official’ first day of Spring this year, already signs of the approaching new season are beginning to show up in local markets.

A recent trip to my local market provided excitement seeing the abundance of artichokes, asparagus, peas, Morel mushrooms, fennel, green garlic, rhubarb, strawberries and this is just the beginning.

Having all this new produce and fruits at hand also allows me to branch out and begin changing my style of Italian cooking.  Winter called for caramelization of foods in my cooking style to develop deep rich flavor profiles.  In addition a few of  the techniques that I utilized involved braising, stews and gratins to deliver hearty dishes that would stand up to the cold days.

A lighter style of cooking is now possible involving quick sautés, poaching, steaming and light roasting as methods to capture the essence of the emerging produce.  One of my favorite dishes and possibly the only vegetable my son can’t get enough of is asparagus.  So to kick off this time of the year I thought no better way than to share a simple, quick and easy recipe.

Roasted Asparagus and Volpi Prosciutto from 'Authentic Volpi' cookbook

ROASTED ASPARAGUS and VOLPI PROSCIUTTO w/ PINE NUT GREMOLATA

(Serves 6)

Chef tip: To choose the right asparagus, look for small, tight leaves at the top while the spear itself should be firm and hold a vibrant green color.

The size of the asparagus spears can vary from skinny to fat, for this recipe I like to use the ‘fatter’ asparagus spears.  Timing is everything depending on how your asparagus will be utilized in your final dish.  For this recipe, we will only blanch the asparagus for 3 minutes and allow the ‘roasting’ stage to finish our cooking.

Prep the asparagus by snapping off the tough end of one spear, this will tell you the length to cut the remaining spears.  Having the asparagus all one length will ensure proper cooking and eye appealing presentation.  This recipe you will need 1 ½ pounds of asparagus.

Asparagus needs to be cooking in a large pot of rapidly boiling, salted water.  Drop the asparagus in the water, blanch for 3 minutes.  Remove from the water with tongs and place on a towel lined sheet pan, only one layer thick to allow for cooling.

Assembly of the Asparagus and Prosciutto w/ Pine Nut Gremolata

Pre heat your oven to 400° F.  Lightly butter a baking dish large enough to hold all the asparagus bundles.  First remove the towel from the sheet pan, season with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.  Separate the asparagus into 6 evenly distributed piles.

On your cutting board, slightly overlap two pieces of Prosciutto.  Neatly place the asparagus atop the Prosciutto; carefully roll up asparagus to create bundles.  Place each one inside your prepared baking dish.  Once all have been completed, place in the oven to finish the cooking process.  This will take approximately 10 minutes.  Look for the asparagus to be tender and the Prosciutto crispy.  It may be necessary to use the broiler for a minute or two to finish ensuring the Prosciutto crisps.

1 T                               Butter (unsalted)

1 ½ pounds                  Asparagus (blanched)

3 T                               Extra Virgin Olive Oil

12 ea.                           Volpi Prosciutto (thinly sliced)

To Taste                       Sea Salt

To Taste                       Black Pepper (fresh ground)

Pine Nut Gremolata

2 T                   Pine Nuts (toasted, finely chopped)

3 T                   Bread Crumbs (toasted, finely ground)

1 ½ T               Italian Parsley (finely minced)

3 t                    Lemon Zest (freshly grated)

To taste            Sea Salt

To Taste           Black Pepper (fresh ground)

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.  Yield: ½ c (approx).

NOTE:  The freshness of the ‘Gremolata’ is important to its flavor profile.  Make what you need; it can be stored in air-tight container for a couple days if necessary.

To Serve:

The “Roasted Asparagus and Volpi Prosciutto” can be served in the baking dish or removed gently and placed on a serving platter.  Garnish each with Pine Nut Gremolata before serving.

All the best, cheers!

Michael