Chef notes
This easy recipe rolls all the best flavors — fresh herbs, eggs and asparagus — into one satisfying bite.
Ingredients
- 20 spears asparagus
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 5 slices prosciutto
- 5 hard-boiled eggs
- 1¼ sticks (5 ounces) butter, divided
- 2 pinches paprika
- 4 slices ciabatta bread
- 8 sage leaves, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons Parmesan, grated
- Fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper
Preparation
1.Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.Cut off the woody bottoms of the asparagus. Peel the bottom half of the asparagus.
3.Bring a pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Line a plate with paper towels.
4.Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until al dente. Transfer the cooked asparagus immediately to the ice water to cool. Then dry on a paper towel-lined plate.
5.Drizzle asparagus with olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, then wrap with the prosciutto. Make 4 bundles of asparagus with 5 each asparagus.
6.Separate the hardboiled egg whites and yolks. Finely grate them both and keep separated.
7.In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the paprika. Brush the melted butter mixture on both sides of the sliced of ciabatta. Toast the ciabatta slices in the oven for 2 minutes on each side.
8.Place the asparagus on a baking tray lined with parchment and bake for 4-5 minutes.
9.In a saucepan, melt the remaining butter and sage until it is foamy and toasted.
10.On a serving plate, make one line of egg yolk and one line of egg white. Top with the wrapped asparagus. Sprinkle each bundle with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan and drizzle with the brown butter. Garnish with the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with paprika crostini.