Tag Archives: prosciutto

Asparagus Involtini

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When we spied this asparagus recipe in our latest issue of Food & Wine, we knew we had to get it on our short list. An elegant alternative to bacon-wrapped asparagus, these prosciutto-wrapped spears are a delightful combination and perfect for springtime.

Asparagus is quickly blanched and shocked to preserve its bright green color and crisp-tender texture. When paired with nutty Montasio cheese (named after the Montasio plateau in Italy, this rich, semi-hard cheese is made from cow’s milk and has a nutty, slightly fruity flavor). Montasio cheese is difficult to source in our area, so Asiago makes a good substitute.

Wrapped in salty prosciutto, these asparagus involtini—the Italian word for “rolls”—make for a great party appetizer or vegetable side dish. Serve these prosciutto-wrapped asparagus warm, accompanied by a fresh salad, or as part of an antipasto platter.

Asparagus typically takes about three to four minutes to blanch in boiling salted water. To keep the asparagus extra green and crisp before it finishes cooking in the pan, blanch it for just two to three minutes.

The wrapping process is a bit tricky, so keep your patience and perhaps buy a few extra slices of prosciutto. If you don’t need to use the extras, they make a mighty fine nibble. Since there was just two of us for dinner, we halved the recipe and still had leftovers.

TIP: Chilling the prosciutto in the refrigerator for a few minutes before rolling will help keep it together as you work it around the asparagus; when the prosciutto is too warm it can tear while rolling. 

Have a party coming up? Rolled and uncooked prosciutto and asparagus wraps can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Asparagus Involtini

  • Servings: 4-8
  • Difficulty: moderately easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
  • 8 oz. Montasio or Asiago cheese, chilled (about 4 cups)
  • 16 thin slices of prosciutto (preferably prosciutto di Parma)
  • 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter 
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • Black pepper and torn basil leaves, for garnish

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add asparagus to boiling water; cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain asparagus and immediately place in ice bath; let stand until thoroughly chilled, about 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
  2. Shave long strips of cheese using a vegetable peeler. Place 1 slice of prosciutto on a clean work surface. Place a small cheese slice (about 1/2 ounce) over prosciutto. Place 2 asparagus spears over cheese at the short end of the prosciutto slice. Tightly roll prosciutto around asparagus spears, spiraling upward. Repeat process with remaining prosciutto, cheese, and asparagus.
  3. Heat butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium until butter melts and begins to foam. Add 4 or 5 asparagus rolls to skillet, seam side down, and cook until prosciutto is crisp and cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining asparagus rolls. Transfer to a platter; sprinkle with black pepper and basil. Serve warm.

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Recipe by Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson for Food & Wine

Fettuccine with Asparagus, Lemon and Prosciutto

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Spring is a culinary celebration of many fresh vegetables, and in this recipe, we highlight asparagus. The dish is quick and easy enough for a busy weeknight, yet rich and elegant enough to serve to weekend dinner guests. Shallots, cream, Parmesan, asparagus, lemon and prosciutto work together beautifully, each holding their own in this eight-ingredient recipe.

To speed things along, you may cook the asparagus** with the pasta in the same pot of boiling water. To make sure the asparagus is tender-crisp at the same that the pasta reaches al dente, purchase spears that are slightly thicker than pencil-size.

Two changes we made, starting with the asparagus**. Ours was on the thicker side so The Hubs decided to cook it in the boiling water for 2 minutes before adding the fettuccini. And as far as the pasta*, we cooked an entire 12-ounce package which provided 2 1/2 healthy portions. There is no way that a mere 8 ounces will feed four adults.

Overall the pasta, with a side salad, was a fantastic dinner! Make sure to add the lemon juice just before serving, it really brightens the dish.

Fettuccine with Asparagus, Lemon and Prosciutto

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. salted butter
  • 2 medium shallots, minced
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest, plus 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely grated (½ cup), divided
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 8- to 9-oz. container fresh fettuccine*
  • 1 lb. asparagus**, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 2-inch lengths
  • 4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into ½-inch ribbons

Directions

  1. In a 12-inch skillet over medium, melt the butter. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cream, lemon zest, half of the Parmesan and ½ teaspoon pepper; remove from the heat and set aside.
  2. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add the pasta, asparagus* and 2 teaspoons salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and the asparagus is tender-crisp. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then briefly drain in a colander, leaving water clinging to the pasta.
  3. Immediately add the pasta mixture and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Cook over medium heat, tossing with tongs, until the pasta is lightly sauced, 1 to 2 minutes; add more reserved pasta water as needed so the sauce clings to the noodles. Add the lemon juice, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls, then scatter on the prosciutto and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Rosa Hattabaugh for Milk Street

Skirt Steak Saltimbocca

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This company-worthy recipe puts a tasty spin on traditional Italian Saltimbocca with thinly pounded skirt steak, wrapped in sage and prosciutto for a delicious variation. Typically, this dish is usually made with veal, but if desired, you could also make this recipe with chicken breasts or pork tenderloin.

Instead of veal, this classic Italian dish uses thinly pounded skirt steak (or in our case, flat iron steak) to create a remarkably tender and flavorful variation that cooks in just minutes. The prosciutto’s crispy and salty flavor pairs nicely with the tender and juicy steak, while the sage provides an earthy and slightly peppery flavor.

The sauce, made with chicken broth, white wine, and butter, is rich and creamy, making it an ideal match for the savory steak. And it was also wonderful poured over our side of orzo.

We cut a 12-ounce piece of flat iron in half crosswise; and pounded each half to a 1/4 inch thick. After which, we seasoned the steak and laid 3 sage leaves across each one. Then 3 ultra-thin slices of prosciutto were wrapped around front and back.

Skirt Steak Saltimbocca

  • Servings: 2-3
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 (12-oz.) skirt steak (about 1 inch thick), trimmed
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided
  • 12 fresh sage leaves, divided
  • 6 thin slices prosciutto 
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (or 2 oz. if searing only two pieces of steak)
  • 4 medium garlic cloves (unpeeled to prevent burning), crushed
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 2 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter

Directions

  1. Cut steak crosswise into 4 (3-ounce) pieces; lightly pound each piece between 2 pieces of plastic wrap using a meat mallet or rolling pin until each piece is about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper evenly over steaks. Place 2 sage leaves on each steak. Wrap 1 piece of prosciutto around each steak, pressing to adhere. (Prosciutto should cover the sage leaves.)
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add garlic cloves and remaining 4 sage leaves; cook, stirring often, until garlic is lightly browned and sage is crispy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Transfer to paper towels to drain; remove garlic peels, and set garlic cloves and sage aside. Pour half of oil in skillet into a heatproof bowl, and set aside; reserve remaining half of oil in skillet.
  4. Transfer to paper towels to drain; remove garlic peels, and set garlic cloves and sage aside. Pour half of oil in skillet into a heatproof bowl, and set aside; reserve remaining half of oil in skillet.
  5. Reheat oil in skillet over medium-high. Add 2 steak pieces, and cook, undisturbed, until prosciutto is browned and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip steaks, and cook until prosciutto is crispy and steaks are cooked to desired degree of doneness, about 2 minutes for medium-rare.
  6. Transfer  to a plate, and let rest. Discard oil in skillet. Add reserved oil to skillet, and repeat cooking process with remaining 2 steaks. Transfer to plate with reserved steaks. Do not wipe skillet clean.
  7. Add broth and wine to skillet, and cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet using a wooden spoon, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
  8. Remove from heat, and gradually whisk in butter until emulsified and creamy, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve steaks immediately with sauce, and garnish with reserved crispy sage and garlic cloves.

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Adapted from a recipe by Justin Chapple for Food & Wine

Bolognese-Style Pork Cutlets

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WOW, just WOW! This meal was soooo delicious, we didn’t expect to like it as much as we did. Now it won’t make your dieting list or make the top 10 of your super-healthy menus, but for a special treat it can’t be beat! We paired ours with a healthy side salad and some roasted broccoli rabe therefore eliminating some of the guilt 😉 .

Pork tenderloin is similarly mild in flavor to veal, so it works in this riff on classic cotoletta alla bolognese. The pan-fried breaded cutlets are topped with salty, savory prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The pork tenderloin is pounded thin, and layered with the prosciutto slices onto the cutlets, under the breading, to better integrate them into the dish.

After frying, the crisp cutlets are placed in a pan with a bit of water and cooked just long enough to melt the cheese. For an extra-crisp crust, use Japanese-style, lightly-crushed panko breadcrumb. This method for melting the cheese keeps the bottoms of the cutlets crisp, and the lemon-spiked sauce, served on the side, brightens up all the rich, salty flavors.

The pieces end up being quite large, so in effect, you could possibly get two servings out of each cutlet. I for one, could not finish mine.

Make ahead: If you’d like it to be a less hectic process at dinner time, you can prepare the cutlets up to Step 3, and leave them in the refrigerator for several hours before moving on to Step 4. Also ahead of time, shred the Parmesan cheese, and make the sauce, which can be reheated as your are melting the cheese on the cutlets.

TIP: Don’t pound the pork without using plastic wrap. The plastic wrap prevents the meat pounder from sticking to the meat, thereby helping to avoid tears. This is especially important when the meat is pounded very thin, as it is here. After pounding the cutlets, season them only with pepper, not with salt, as the prosciutto and Parmesan provide lots of salinity. Finally, when adding the water to the pan of fried cutlets, make sure to pour it around them, not on them.

Bolognese-Style Pork Cutlets

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2½ cups panko breadcrumbs
  • Ground black pepper
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1¼ lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin and patted dry
  • 4 slices prosciutto (about 2 oz. total)
  • 12 Tbsp. neutral oil, divided
  • 4 oz. Parmesan cheese (without rind), shredded on the small holes of a box grater (2 cups)
  • 4 Tbsp. (½ stick) salted butter, cut into 4 pieces
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, plus lemon wedges to serve

Directions

  1. Place the panko in a large a zip-close bag and seal. Run a rolling pin over the panko until finely crushed. Empty into a pie plate or wide shallow bowl, then stir in ½ teaspoon pepper. In a second similar dish, stir the flour and 1 teaspoon pepper. In a third dish, beat the eggs with a fork.
  2. Cut the pork tenderloin in half crosswise, making the tail-end slightly larger, then cut each piece in half lengthwise. Place 2 pieces between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat pounder, gently pound each piece to an even ⅛-inch thickness. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Season both sides of each cutlet with pepper, then lay a prosciutto slice on each cutlet. Re-cover with plastic wrap and gently pound so the prosciutto adheres.
  3. One at a time, dredge the cutlets in the flour, turning to coat and shaking off any excess, then dip in the egg and, finally, coat with the panko, pressing so it adheres. Set the cutlets on a large plate. Refrigerate uncovered for 15 minutes. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and place near the stovetop.
  4. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 6 tablespoons of oil until barely smoking. Add 2 cutlets and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, flip and cook until the second sides are golden, about 1 minute. Transfer to the prepared rack. Repeat with the remaining 6 tablespoons oil and remaining cutlets. Wipe out the skillet and set aside.
  5. Evenly sprinkle the cutlets with the Parmesan. Place 2 cutlets, cheese side up, in the same skillet, then set the pan over medium-high. Pour ¼ cup water around the cutlets, immediately cover and cook until the cheese has melted, the water has evaporated and the cutlets begin to sizzle, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a large spatula, return the cutlets to the rack and repeat with the remaining cutlets; tent with foil. Using paper towels, wipe out the skillet.
  6. In the same skillet over medium, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth, then cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about ⅓ cup, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in the lemon juice, then taste and season with pepper. Pour into a serving bowl. Transfer the cutlets to a platter and serve with the sauce and lemon wedges on the side.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Original recipe by Diane Unger for Milk Street

Spanish-Style Flatbread with Roasted Peppers, Artichokes and Prosciutto

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Kick your weeknight dinner up a notch with this simple version of coca, a type of Spanish flatbread. Coca is open-faced like pizza (without cheese) and can be savory, sweet or plain. In Catalan, its place of origin, a coca is a gathering of leftovers or whatever vegetables might be in season (coca derives from the Dutch word kok, for cake). For that reason, this dish isn’t so much a recipe as it is a broad template.

For ease, use store-bought refrigerated pizza dough, put it into a rimmed baking sheet and top it with roasted peppers, marinated artichokes and capers before sliding it into the oven. As the crowning touch, slices of prosciutto are draped on after the flatbread comes out of the oven. If you’re able to find Spanish dry-cured ham, such as serrano or Ibérico, feel free to use it instead. Voila, a fun dinner in no time!

A pizza wheel cutter makes it a cinch to slice up!

A few notes about the ingredients. Our crust was a European-style pizza dough that was already rectangular in shape making it a cinch to spread onto the rimmed baking sheet. Each package was 14.1 ounces, so I used two, one on top of the other, which ended up being over 4 ounces more than called for.

FYI—Don’t use cold dough, as it will be more resistant to stretching and shaping than room-temperature dough; it also bakes up denser. Remove it from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes in advance, depending on the ambient temperature of your kitchen. Also, to prevent sticking, make sure to coat the baking sheet with cooking spray before placing the dough on top.

If you have the chance, get the Trader Joe’s brand of marinated artichoke hearts, they’re the best! For the roasted red peppers, we used a jar of Spanish-style grilled Piquillo peppers. And the amount of prosciutto was increased to four ounces. (I would have chosen Serrano ham if the store had been carrying it at the time.) The sweetness of roasted peppers is balanced by the brininess of jarred artichokes and capers. A sprinkling of fresh thyme offers herbal notes, while sliced prosciutto adds depth and savoriness.

Spanish-Style Flatbread with Roasted Peppers, Artichokes and Prosciutto

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained, patted dry and roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 cup drained marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1/4 cup drained capers, roughly chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to serve
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 lbs. store-bought refrigerated pizza dough, room temperature
  • 5 thin slices prosciutto (about 2½ oz.)
  • 1/3 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Mist a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss together the red peppers, artichokes, garlic, capers, thyme, 1 tablespoon of oil, ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper; set aside.
  3. Set the dough in the center of the prepared baking sheet, then press and stretch it until it covers the pan and is of an even thickness. Press from the center outward and lift and stretch the edges as needed; it’s fine if the dough doesn’t completely fill the corners. If the dough is resistant or shrinks after stretching, wait 5 to 10 minutes before trying again; if it is very elastic, you may need to give it 2 or 3 rests.
  4. When the dough fills the baking sheet, brush it with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Evenly distribute the red pepper mixture over the top, leaving a narrow border around the edge, then gently press the toppings into the dough. Bake until the edges of the dough are well-browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
  5. Remove from the oven and slide the flatbread out of the baking sheet and onto a wire rack. Tear the prosciutto into narrow ribbons and drape over the top. Cool for 5 minutes.
  6. Transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with the parsley, then cut into pieces. Serve drizzled with additional oil.

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Adapted from a recipe by Calvin Cox for Milk Street