When I was at the farmers’ market last week, I picked up a beautiful bunch of asparagus. I was planning to make prosciutto-wrapped asparagus bundles, but I couldn’t decide what to make with them. By the time Sunday evening came around, I had not yet been to the store and had not thawed out anything from the freezer to make for dinner. Instead, I decided to make the asparagus the main dish and made these asparagus prosciutto quesadillas. When all was said and done, I was happy that I hadn’t remembered to make something else – the quesadillas were delicious!
I also had some green and yellow squash from the farmers market, so I decided to bread them and make oven fries to go along with the quesadillas. I only had plain breadcrumbs in my pantry, so that’s what I used. These would be great with seasoned breadcrumbs or panko breadcrums – I think the panko ones would be extra crispy, which would be delicious!
Quesadillas:
(You can adjust the amount of each ingredient based on the number of quesadillas you want to make)
- Asparagus
- Thinly sliced prosciutto
- Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
- Small flour Tortillas
- Extra virgin olive oil
Trim the asparagus, cutting off the woody ends. Simmer in a small amount of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Then submerge the asparagus in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
Heat a grill pan with a panini press (or a George Foreman grill or electric panini press) over medium heat. Brush with olive oil. Place one tortilla on the panini. Top with some mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Place asparagus spears on top of the cheese. Spread a slice of prosciutto over the asparagus, and top with some more cheese (just a small amount) and a second tortilla. Grill for about 3 minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are golden and crispy.
Squash Fries
- 1 medium yellow squash, cut into wedges
- 1 medium green squash, cut into wedges
- 1 cup flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with some aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
Set up three bowls for breading the squash – one for the flour, one for the egg and milk (beaten), and one for the breadcrumbs. Add salt and pepper to each of the three bowls, and stir to combine.
Dip each piece of the squash in the flour, shaking off any excess. Then, dip in the egg mixture, and coat with breadcrumbs. Place on the baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake for 15 minutes and then carefully flip the squash fries over and bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes. Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
I love the idea of asparagus and prosciutto quesadillas and the squash fries sound delicious! Wonderful fresh ingredients!
Great twist on the classic combination of asparagus and prosciutto! I always have tortillas in the house, so I will definitely give this a try. Thanks for the recipe.
Asparagus and prosciutto in a quesadilla? Now you’ve kickin’ it up a notch. I’m lovin’ it!! Those squash fries look delicious as well.
That is really a beautiful meal! The fried squash looks out of this world and the asparagus quesadillas look delicious (and very Italian)! Brilliant idea!
Your squash fries look so good! I have had them fried in oil before, but I don’t make them because I try to avoid a lot of fried food. I love it, but it hates me. Your baked version has all the crunch but none of the boiling oil! I love it!
Wow, squash fries sound amazing! I love the baked idea!
Beautiful meal! I posted a similar recipe for Zucchini “Fries” on my blog recently.
yum, that quesadilla looks so good!! i’ve never thought about putting asparagus in it – definitely should try it next time. your site is awesome!
That quesadilla looks super yummy! I love asparagus and when it’s in season I’m always looking for interesting ways to use it. I will have to give this a try!
Everything looks so awesome. Your zucchini fries remind me of the ones they serve at Rubys Diner, yum!
I will have to try those zucchini fries, thanks for the recipe!
I am so excited to try these squash fries! What a fun post!
Love love love this! This is such a different meal. The squash fries look great.
I adore squash fries, and this quesadilla sounds great!