Italian Grilled Asparagus Recipe

An Italian grilled asparagus recipe that can become a nice asparagus salad or an healthy starter (antipasto). Just 280 calories to best enjoy April's vegetable.

Ingredients: serves 4 - 280 Kcal per serving

- 2 lb (900g) big asparagus
- 2 oz (60g) Parmesan cheese
- 3 oz (85g) sliced raw Italian ham (prosciutto crudo)
- 1½ oz (40g) pine nuts (pinoli)
- ½ lemon
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt & black pepper

TIP!
For this recipe, choose a good quality of asparagus, tender, flavorful and delicate.

Preparation: easy 30 minutes

1. Remove the fibrous portion from the stalk of asparagus, separating with your hands at the point where it breaks easily, or cut with a knife. Scrape the stalks with a vegetable peeler. Wash the asparagus under cold running water, blanch for 3-4 minutes in lightly salted boiling water. Drain and pass under cold running water.

2. Heat a grill or a large frying pan and sprinkle the bottom with salt. Arrange some of the asparagus in a single layer on the grid and cook at medium heat for 2 minutes per side, turning with two forks. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in a hot oven, but turned off. Grill the same way the left asparagus.

3. Mount with the whip in a bowl 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Remove the fat from the slices of raw ham prosciutto crudo and cut into strips, in the sense of width. Toast the pine nuts for 1 minute in a pan, without adding fat.

4. Divide asparagus on individual warm plates, drizzle with the prepared sauce and sprinkle with pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Arrange the ham on the side of asparagus and serve.