(sorry no picture of prosciutto wrapped asparagus) 

OK, I know everyone knows how to bake asparagus. But its asparagus time in the city! So I felt some of you might appreciate a little ”kick in the pants” reminder of how easy and fast asparagus is to prepare in the oven. And since these recipes (if you can even call them that) are so terribly simple, I thought I would keep my introduction simple too.   

Parmesan:

• 16 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed, washed, and dried as well as possible
• 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• scant ¼ c. finely grated Parmesan

Place the asparagus spears on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, massage with finger tips to make sure the asparagus is completely coated, then sprinkle evenly with the grated Parmesan.  

Bake for about 8-10 minutes in a preheated 450 degree oven or until the asparagus is tender and the Parmesan is just starting to brown. Serve immediately.

Prosciutto:

• 16 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed, washed, and dried as well as possible
• 8 slices prosciutto, cut in half
• 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper

Wrap each asparagus spear with prosciutto, starting at the bottom, and spiraling upward. Place the wrapped spears on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle very lightly with pepper.

Bake for 5 minutes in a preheated 450 degree oven. Remove from oven and carefully turn each spear.  Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender and the prosciutto is crisp. Serve immediately.