Quick, minimal ingredients, very few dishes to wash this flavorful savory appetizer could easily become a go-to party favorite.
I made about 25 parcels for Easter Brunch and I’m pretty sure they were gone as soon as they hit the table. But then really anything wrapped up in puff pastry is good in my book!
The pairing of buttery puff pastry, salty prosciutto, melty cheese, and clean asparagus makes these parcels completely delicious. I pair them with a little Dijon dipping mustard on the side for one more element of flavor.
Parcel assembly
Wrapped up and ready for egg wash then into the oven.
Puff Pastry Asparagus Parcels
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 12
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Category: appetizer
- Method: Oven
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 small bunches asparagus, tough ends removed. Base the quantity on how many parcels you’d like to make and the thickness of the asparagus, if it’s really thick you may only need 1 bundle.
- 4 to 5 slices prosciutto – cut in half
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shaved
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed if frozen
- 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper
- 1 large egg beaten with a little water to make an egg wash Dijon Mustard (or similar) – enough for dipping
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Lightly flour a surface, roll the puff pastry out to a large rectangle. I aim to get it about twice its size. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter slice into 8 squares or rectangles. Don’t stress about getting them perfect or even the same size, as long as they will wrap around the asparagus, you are good to go.
- Toss asparagus in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the parcels – take 1 square of puff pastry, position it facing you in a diamond shape and brush with egg wash. Place 1/2 a slice of prosciutto, then 3-4 stalks of asparagus (depending on size) then a few shavings of Parmesan cheese. Take the opposite sides of the pastry and gather in the middle, twist or overlap the edges. Make sure the two ends of the puff pastry touch or overlap in some way and press to seal. Brush puff pastry with more egg wash.
- Watch carefully and bake until pastry is golden and puffed, about 12 minutes. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping condiment. I very much enjoy a sharp and garlicky Dijon mustard.
Notes
Make ahead: I wouldn’t recommend making the entire parcel the night before but what you can do is wash and trim the asparagus, cut the prosciutto in half (it typically comes as a long rectangle shape). You can also roll out and cut the puff pastry BUT you can NOT let it dry out. What I do is cut it in to the shape I need then take a damp paper towel and wrap it around the pastry then place in a Ziploc -type bag to keep the air out. If the pastry gets dry you won’t be able to work with it and it won’t then “puff” in the oven.
Keywords: Puff Pastry Asparagus Parcels/Bundles
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