Prosciutto-Wrapped Roasted White Asparagus with Sunny Side Up Eggs

Asparagus spears wrapped in prosciutto are delicious but nothing new. This recipe kicks that up a bit: We use white asparagus, which we roast, our prosciutto is from Parma in Emilia-Romagna, and we top the whole thing with an egg fried sunny side up. Tasty and unique, this makes for a serious side dish.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Roasted White Asparagus with Sunny Side Up Eggs

White asparagus, sometimes called Spargel, from the German word for asparagus, derives from the same species as the more common green asparagus, grüner Spargel. The difference is photosynthesis—white asparagus grows covered in soil, a process called hilling, with the entire spear hidden from sunlight. The result is a sweeter, more subtle taste. For this recipe, you can certainly use green—or try a mix of half and half.

White asparagus, trimmed

Makes four servings.

Ingredients:

16 spears (just under 1 pound) white asparagus, bottoms trimmed
4 teaspoons olive oil
8 slices of prosciutto di parma, ask your butcher to slice it paper-thin, cut in half length-wise
4 sunny side up fried eggs (recipe)
4 teaspoons chopped Italian parsley, to garnish
sea salt, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Asparagus spear lined up and tossed with olive oil and black pepper

Line a half baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay out the asparagus spears in a single file across the sheet. Toss with olive oil and black pepper. Forgo salt as the prosciutto is sufficiently salty.

Place in the oven and roast until tender and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes.

Prosciutto di parma, cut in half

Remove from oven and let cool until able to handle. Wrap each asparagus spear in a half-slice of prosciutto, leaving the tip exposed.

Prepare the sunny side up fried eggs.

Plated in a single file line

To plate, arrange four spears in a tight single file.

Place the sunny side up egg on top

Place a fried egg on top.

Plated, garnished, and ready to serve

Season the egg lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with Italian parsley. Serve immediately. Pairs well with a Verdicchio from Castelli di Jesi, Marche, Italy.