Prosciutto: What is Prosciutto

Prosciutto is nothing but the Italian name for ham. There are basically two varieties of prosciutto, prosciutto crudo and prosciutto cotto. The first type refers to uncooked prosciutto, while the second one refers to cooked prosciutto. Prosciutto is thinly sliced and most of the time it is served uncooked. These slices are very thin and are almost transparent. It is wrapped around vegetables and fruits and served uncooked. Sometimes it is slightly cooked, specially, while preparing pasta recipes.

Prosciuttos are made in a typical manner. Firstly, high quality meat cuts are selected and then they are kept in a cool place for about 1 day. The meat is then washed and trimmed, and sea salt and spices are applied thoroughly on the slices. These slices are then rubbed with salts and spices for 2 more months. Then, the meat is washed to remove the salt deposits on it. After washing, the slices are hung in a cool and breezy place and are left for curing. The duration for curing these slices can be anywhere between 2 months to 2 years.

Now, when you know what is prosciutto, learn the easy recipes given below.

Easy Prosciutto Recipes

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients

• Fresh asparagus (trimmed) - 1 pound
• Prosciutto - 1 package (3 ounce)
• Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
• Lemon zest - 1 teaspoon

Procedure

Take a large pot and pour water into it. Then, add some salt to this water and bring it to boil. When the water boils very hard, add the asparagus into the pot and cook it until it becomes tender and little crisp, for about 4 minutes. Drain the excess water immediately and transfer the asparagus into a bowl of ice water. Remove the excess water with paper towels. Now, separate the cooked asparagus and make small bundles. Wrap each bundle with prosciutto and then sprinkle lemon zest and lemon juice over them.

Prosciutto Scallops

Ingredients

• Large sea scallops (shelled) - 2 pounds
• Prosciutto (thinly sliced) - ½ pound
• Butter (melted) - ½ cup
• Toothpicks

Procedure

This is one of the easy prosciutto appetizer recipes, that can be prepared with very less ingredients. First, preheat the grill on medium-high heat and soak the toothpicks in water. Then, take a scallop and wrap a slice of prosciutto around it. Repeat the same for the remaining scallops. Then secure the prosciuttos over the scallops with the help of soaked toothpicks. Then lightly oil the grill grate and place the scallops on the preheated grill. Cook the prosciutto scallops for about 5 minutes and baste them with butter occasionally. Cook them for 8 more minutes until they become opaque.

Prosciutto Pasta

Ingredients

• Uncooked medium tube pasta - 4 cups
• Sliced fresh mushrooms - ½ pound
• Chopped onion - ¼ cup
• Butter - 2 tablespoons
• Prosciutto (chopped) - 10 slices
• Cornstarch - 2 teaspoons
• Heavy whipping cream - 2 cups
• Minced fresh parsley - ½ cup
• Pepper - ¼ teaspoon
• Shredded Parmesan cheese

Procedure

To prepare this, first cook the pasta by following the directions on the package. Till the pasta cooks, take a large skillet and put butter and oil in it. Place the skillet over heat and saute mushrooms in it. Then, add prosciutto with mushroom and saute for 3 more minutes. Take a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cream, and mix them to form smooth mixture. Pour this mixture into the skillet and then add parsley and pepper to it. Bring the mixture to boil and cook it to obtain thick texture. Then, drain the cooked pasta, add it to the mixture in the skillet and mix all the ingredients together. Sprinkle the yummy prosciutto pasta with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Prosciutto calories are very high and they are also high in cholesterol. They contain high amount of fats and sodium and hence, is not healthy. So, make sure you burn those extra calories with exercise, whenever you have your favorite prosciutto dish. I hope this article answered your query. Happy Cooking!