These delicious Asparagus Puff Pastry Twists with Parma Ham & Pesto make tasty and portable picnic snack or lovely appetiser with a nice glass of wine. They are so beautifully moreish you won't be able to have just one!
Asparagus Puff Pastry Twists - Picnic Snack and Diner Party Nibble
With homegrown asparagus season being really short I like to get my asparagus fix as often as I can which means trying to be creative in a way I use it. These scrummy asparagus and puff pastry twists are my family's favourite picnic snack although they are also lovely as a nibble with drinks hence perfect for dinner parties.
Picnic food should be easy to make, portable and of course delicious. My twists tick all the boxes, you'll be pleased to hear. They only take half an hour to make too so you can be out the door before you know it! The flavours and textures work together nicely as you get soft and crispy, mellow and salty plus slightly garlicky and herby pesto to top it all off. My Wild Garlic & Walnut Pesto would work so nicely here! We like these with parma ham but prosciutto, pancetta or even smoked streaky bacon will all work nicely here.
Make sure you check out my other picnic snacks and party nibbles. Here are few of my favourites:
Vegan Sausage Rolls (Greggs Copycat)
Party Sausages with Honey & Mustard Glaze
Puff Pastry
If you are in the UK you will need half ready rolled (375g) puff pastry sheet, the one you can easily get in the chilled section of your supermarket.
In the US look for frozen puff pastry sheets which are slightly larger hence you will only need one sheet and might end up with a bit leftover as well. To prevent waste simply make more twists! As you buy them frozen they will need to be defrosted before using.
How to make Asparagus Puff Pastry Twists with Parma Ham & Pesto
These delicious twists couldn't be quicker and easier to make.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
- Prepare you asparagus by snapping off woody ends (you will find more detailed info in my Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus recipe post).
- Roll out puff pastry sheet and cut it in half widthwise (in the UK). You will want to be able to cut out 8 puff pastry strips which are approximately the length of the asparagus or a bit longer and 3-3.5cm wide.
- Cut each parma ham / prosciutto slice in half (lengthwise) and wrap each half around your prepared asparagus spears.
- Spread pesto over the puff pastry and cut it into 8 equal size strips (as per above).
- Wrap each puff pastry strip around parma ham/prosciutto wrapped asparagus in a spiral to create "twist" effect. Place on a baking tray.
- Brush each twist with a little bit of beaten egg and bake in a preheated oven for 20 min until nice and golden brown and puffed up.
- Transfer to cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Asparagus Puff Pastry Twists with Parma Ham & Pesto
Ingredients
- 8 asparagus spears woody ends trimmed
- 4 slices of parma ham or prosciutto cut in half lengthwise
- half of ready rolled puff pastry sheet see notes
- 2 tablespoon pesto
- 1 egg lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
- Prepare your asparagus by snapping off woody ends.
- Roll out puff pastry sheet and cut it in half widthwise (see notes).
- Cut each parma ham/prosciutto slice in half and wrap each half around asparagus spear.
- Spread pesto over the puff pastry and cut it into 8 even size strips (widthwise).
- Wrap each puff pastry strip around parma ham/prosciutto wrapped asparagus in a spiral to create "twist" effect and place on a baking tray.
- Brush each twist gently with beaten egg and bake in preheated oven for 20 min until golden brown and puffed up.
- Transfer to cooling rack and serve warm or at room temperature!
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate and should be treated as a guideline only.
- In the UK, ready rolled puff pastry sheet is 375g. For 8 twists you will only need half of the sheet.
- Outside of the UK - You will want puff pastry sheet to be able to cut out 8 strips which are approximately the length of the asparagus or a bit longer and 3-3.5cm wide.
- Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published on 19 June 2017 and updated in May 2019 with updated recipe card and instructions plus more helpful info.
MORE ASPARAGUS RECIPES FOR YOU TO ENJOY
Asparagus & Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto
Warm Potato Asparagus Salad with Lentils
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I’m linking my Asparagus Puff Pastry Twists with Parma Ham & Pesto with the following pages:
Cook Blog Share hosted this week by Jackie at Recipes Made Easy and Monika at Everyday Healthy Recipes
Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by Corina at Searching for Spice
Treat Petite hosted by Kat at The Baking Explorer
Bake of the Week by Helen at CasaCostello and Jenny at MummyMishaps
kim says
What a great recipe! Love how easy and tasty this is!
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Kim! 🙂
Helen of Fuss Free Flavours says
These tasty morsels look utterly delicious, such a good combination together. Ideal for summer party food, and so easy to make.
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Helen! Yes, they do make perfect party nibble if I say so myself 🙂
Rosa says
I made these for a small gathering and they were a huge hit!! They’re so fancy looking and DELISH!
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Rosa! I'm really pleased you enjoyed them! 🙂
Amy | The Cook Report says
Ok, I love the sound of these, the pesto in there takes them to a whole new level!
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Amy! 🙂 Indeed pesto adds that extra umami layer to these snacks.
Danielle Wolter says
These are so beautiful!! What a way to impress your guests with a simple but elegant treat. Loving the puff pastry!
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you so much Danielle! 🙂 I love puff pastry based nibbles! They are so moreish!
Mayuri Patel says
These twists look awesome... I'll skip the ham and try the recipe out. Thanks for sharing.
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you so much Mayuri! I hope you like them! x
NInjacat says
what a gorgeous recipe perfect for the summer weather and of course for picnics
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks 🙂 Quick, easy and tasty is the key in this heat for sure! 🙂 x
Kate says
These look really delicious. Im a big fan of asparagus. These would be perfect for a posh picnic or as bbq nibbles. I think my daughters might enjoy helping me make them too! #recipeoftheweek
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Kate! I think these would be perfect for little helpers hands! x
Jenny Paulin says
ooooh this is another fab idea for posh canapés or a posh picnic snack. or even just because I love everything abhor them! thank you for joining in with #Bakeoftheweek x
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Jenny! x
Karly says
This is how all veggies should be! Cannot get over how stinking delicious these look. Perfect as a party app, snack or potluck addition!
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Karly! 🙂 They do look scrummy don't they and taste as delicious I promise 🙂 I hope you'll get the chance to give them a try. x
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
They do look good. would make fabulous pre dinner nibbles. I can just imagine eating these with a glass of cold dry sherry.
Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Jacqui! They are so versatile, aren't they? It would be a glass of red for me please, chin-chin 🙂
Rebecca Smith says
These look delicious Jo, perfect grub for a picnic, it's far too hot to be thinking about cooking and eating hot dinners at the moment so a plate of these with some salad and coleslaw would be prefect right now! #recipeoftheweek
joskitchenlarder says
Absolutely! I do love picky foods for dinner in the Summer or on a busy weeknight. These fit the bill perfectly. Thanks for your lovely comment 🙂 x
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
I love asparagus, and wrapping them in pastry sounds epic! Thanks for linking up to #TreatPetite!
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Kat! 🙂 x
Corina says
These look yummy and would be the perfect addition to a picnic! I'd have to make plenty as I'm sure they're addictive once you start eating them! Thanks so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x
joskitchenlarder says
Oh they so are! 🙂 Even kids will eat them even though they are not too keen on asparagus. They make an exception here as it's covered in pastry and ham 🙂 x