asparagus rafts
(1 rating)
One evening, I wanted to serve the fresh asparagus from our garden for supper. I usually wrap it in prosciutto, brush it with a little olive oil and bake it, but this time, I didn't have the prosciutto, so I improvised. It turned out tasting great, was much less expensive than using prosciutto and it looked really cool! Ka-ching! These tasty rafts of asparagus woven through ham with melted parmesan cheese are perfect served alongside seafood and steaks. Another bonus - they can be assembled ahead of time.
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(1 rating)
yield
2 "rafts" per person
prep time
30 Min
cook time
20 Min
method
Bake
Ingredients For asparagus rafts
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6-8fresh asparagus spears per person (number depends on size of spears)
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1 sliceham lunchmeat per person
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olive oil
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1 small pinchfine sea salt per "raft"
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1 pinchfresh ground black pepper per raft
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1 tspfreshly grated/shredded parmesan cheese per raft
How To Make asparagus rafts
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1Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray foil lightly with olive oil baking spray or use a paper towel, dipped in a little olive oil, to lightly grease the foil. Set aside.
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2Wash and trim woody cut ends of asparagus; place on paper towels and pat dry.
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3Cut each slice of ham in half lengthwise. Make 6, evenly spaced, vertical slits in each piece, carefully avoiding the edges.
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4Weave asparagus stalks through each slit, using as many stalks as will fit without tearing the ham (if it tears, you can "patch" it with a small piece of ham placed over the tear,) placing each "raft" on prepared foil lined baking sheet.
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5Lightly brush asparagus and ham with olive oil; sprinkle very lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (salt is optional, but I love salt, so I always add just a little bit;)
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6Bake at 425ºF for 15 minutes (20 minutes for large spears.)
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7Remove from oven, sprinkle parmesan cheese lightly over all; return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve.
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8Cover and refrigerate leftovers. May be assembled, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead. Preheat oven and bake, uncovered, as directed.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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