Parma Ham parcels with asparagus and peas

  • Antipasto
  • Makes 12 parcels
  • 25 minutes
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This antipasto recipe is an ode to the ingredients of Emilia-Romagna in springtime. Asparagus and peas are stirred into ricotta, pecorino and soft Italian cheese to create a mixture which is then stuffed inside melt-in-the-mouth slices of Parma Ham. A wonderful little snack or canapé to serve with drinks before a meal.

First published in 2019

In this recipe, salty Prosciutto di Parma marries perfectly with fresh asparagus and peas to produce the taste of spring. These little bite-sized parcels show the prosciutto off at its best, respecting the years of work that has gone into producing it. Yoghurt-like squacquerone cheese was born a few miles down the road from Parma, keeping this recipe within its Italian regional family, but you can use stracchino cheese as a perfectly good substitute if you're having trouble tracking some down. The parcels go very well with a dry white wine – I recommend Albana Secco, which is also from Emilia-Romagna.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 50g of asparagus
  • 50g of fresh peas, shelled
  • 125g of ricotta
  • 50g of stracchino, or squacquerone cheese
  • 20g of pecorino, grated
  • 12 slices of Parma ham

Method

1
Using a potato peeler, cut twelve long thin ribbons of asparagus and set aside for later
2
Blanch the rest of the asparagus and the peas in boiling water for five minutes. Drain and leave to cool
3
Finely chop the peas and asparagus with a knife or in a food processor
4
Gently combine the ricotta, stracchino (or squacquerone) and pecorino in a bowl using a spatula. Work slowly to retain a stiff consistency
5
Add the asparagus and peas to the cheese mixture and mix thoroughly until combined
6
Using a teaspoon, place a dollop of the mixture in the centre of each slice of Parma Ham
7
Gather the Parma Ham up around the filling to make a parcel
8
Tie the neck of the parcel up with a strip of asparagus and serve

Luca Marchiori is a food writer, recipe developer and food historian. His blog Luca’s Italy is all about discovering authentic Italian food and sharing the recipes that Italians really eat.

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