Taking just 25 minutes to prepare, these vibrant asparagus parcels make the perfect spring dinner party starter. Wrapped in crispy Parma ham and dressed in a goat's cheese and mustard dressing, we can't think of an easier (or more delicious) way to celebrate the start of asparagus season here in the UK (March-June).
Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Hold an asparagus spear in both hands between the end and halfway up. Bend the end; the stem will snap between woody part and edible part. Repeat with all the spears, discarding the woody ends.
Step 2
Divide asparagus into six bundles and wrap two Parma ham slices around each. Arrange on a non-stick baking tray. Drizzle over ½tbsp oil, season and rip over half the thyme. Roast for 10-12min.
Step 3
Make dressing: in a blender, whiz honey, mustard, shallot, most of the pinenuts, goat's cheese, lemon juice and the rest of the oil until smooth. Season. Add a little water if too thick. Put in a pan; warm through.
Step 4
Serve each asparagus bundle on a piece of toasted soda bread, drizzled with 1tbsp dressing and garnished with the remaining thyme and pinenuts.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
