Asparagus Puff Pastry Twists with Parma Ham & Pesto

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 like these Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Turkey Rolls, Vegetarian Sausage Rolls or perhaps some melt in your mouth Cheese Straws and these addictive Party Sausages with Honey & Mustard Glaze which have tendency to disappearing.

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.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Prepare you asparagus by snapping off woody ends (you will find more detailed info in my Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus recipe post).
3. 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.
4. Cut each parma ham / prosciutto slice in half (lengthwise) and wrap each half around your prepared asparagus spears.
5. Spread pesto over the puff pastry and cut it into 8 equal size strips (as per above).
6. Wrap each puff pastry strip around parma ham/prosciutto wrapped asparagus in a spiral to create “twist” effect. Place on a baking tray.
7. 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.
8. Transfer to cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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5 from 4 votes

Asparagus Puff Pastry Twists with Parma Ham & Pesto

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.

Course Appetizer, Picnic Food, Snack

Cuisine American, British, International

Keyword parma ham wrapped asparagus, picnic food, prosciutto wrapped asparagus, puff pastry wrapped asparagus

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 173kcal

Author Jo Allison

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

• 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 Tbsp 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

Nutrition Facts

Asparagus Puff Pastry Twists with Parma Ham & Pesto

Amount Per Serving (0 g)

Calories 173 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 3g15%

Cholesterol 23mg8%

Sodium 128mg5%

Potassium 62mg2%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 0g0%

Sugar 0g0%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 225IU5%

Vitamin C 0.9mg1%

Calcium 15mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Tag me @Joskitchenlarder or use hashtag #joskitchenlarder!

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

Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus & Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto

Pancetta Wrapped Asparagus Soldiers with Fried Egg

Asparagus & Spinach Soup

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