A hand held Caesar Salad? Yes! With asparagus and prosciutto? Yes please! Serve these as an appetizer or a side salad when local asparagus is fresh and in season. They’re great for a picnic because there’s no dishes or silverware required.
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Snapping the ends off asparagus spears is a quick way to get rid of any woody parts. Normally it will break in the right spot. But, sometimes you end up losing more of the spear than you want, especially if it’s fresh cut. If you buy it right from a farm like I do, just line them up at the ends and slice off about an inch or so. That way you don’t waste any.
If your spears are extra long and you don’t want to waste fresh asparagus you can use the ends to make Asparagus Soup. Or maybe you have lots left and want to make something more ambitious. Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto is one of the most popular recipes on Old Cut Kitchen!
Did you know you can eat asparagus raw? Sure you can. The very thin ones are awesome on a crudités platter with some healthy dip. But for these Asparagus Caesar Bundles, the asparagus is blanched. Meaning cooked very quickly, about one minute if you have nice thin spears, then plunged into ice cold water to stop the cooking process. So they stay firm and keep their nice green colour. No one likes grey limp asparagus.
The larger outer leaves of a head of romaine work best for hand held salads. That way the fillings have more space to lay and don’t fall out. Once you toss the outer leaves, the next few layers are perfect. If you want to make more than 4 or 5 bundles, you won’t have enough larger leaves from one head of romaine. Buy a 3 pack and you’ll have enough good sized leaves. You’ll be left with the smaller, crunchier leaves that work best for salads and sandwiches. Give the leaves a rinse and dry them well on paper towel.
It’s really simple to make crispy prosciutto. Just tear into large pieces and lay in a wide pan without overlapping. Fry on medium heat, watching carefully until they start sizzling, browning and crisping up. Don’t try to start with tiny pieces, they’re easy to tear once they’re cooled and easier to flip. It only takes about 3-4 minutes per side. Let the prosciutto cool on paper towel. You can also crisp up prosciutto under the broiler. You have to watch them very carefully, which is why I prefer to use the stovetop. Prosciutto is too expensive to risk burning the whole batch! When I say crispy I don’t mean like well cooked crumbly bacon. It doesn’t crumble but adds a chewy texture to your Asparagus Caesar Bundles.
I’m not including a recipe for caesar dressing but if you’re looking for a good one, this is my go-to recipe that I use for Crabocado Caesar Salad. And I’m skipping the croutons for these hand held salads on purpose. Croutons are usually just a carby filler in a salad anyway. The creamy type Caesar Salad Dressing works best in the bundles because it’s thicker so stays in place. But feel free to use a thinner vinaigrette version if you prefer. The nutritional information is based on a creamy dressing.
Thinning the dressing allows you to drizzle it over the Asparagus Caesar Salad Bundles. Just stir in some milk until it’s thin enough to drizzle off the end of a spoon. Shave some fresh Parmesan cheese over top and voila! No plate, no fork, just fun.
Serve with some extra dressing and fresh cracked black pepper.
If you make Asparagus Caesar Bundles, consider leaving a comment or rating below. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- 6 large romaine leaves, rinsed and dried
- 18-24 stalks thin asparagus ends trimmed
- 2 slices prosciutto
- fresh shaved Parmesan cheese
- 2-3 Tbsp Caesar salad dressing creamy works best
- 1-2 Tbsp milk
- fresh cracked black pepper if desired
Instructions
- Remove any damaged out leaves from romaine. Choose 6 large good quality outer leaves. Rinse then dry well. Arrange on a platter face up.
- Snap or slice off any woody ends from asparagus. Add to boiling water all at once, time for 60-90 seconds (60 max if using very thin stalks), then remove immediately, plunge in ice cold water bath to cool. Drain when cool, then dry on paper towel.
- Tear prosciutto into 2 or 3 large pieces and add to wide skillet. Fry on medium for 3-4 minutes, then turn. Once pieces are sizzling and browning, remove to paper towel to drain.
- Lay 3-4 asparagus spears in each romaine leaf. Break prosciutto into smaller pieces and sprinkle evenly over bundles.
- Add milk in small amounts to Caesar dressing and stir until thin enough to drizzle off the end of a spoon. Drizzle evenly over salad bundles.
- Shave fresh Parmesan cheese into large pieces and arrange evenly in bundles. Add fresh cracked black pepper if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
more easy asparagus side dishes
Sheet Pan Asparagus with Tomatoes
I’m definitely trying this, it’s a fun way to eat salad.
Right?