Roasted Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Burrata with an Olive Oil Drizzle

Roasted Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Burrata with an Olive Oil Drizzle

Grandma Angelica had a simple rule for spring: let the season do the cooking for you. When asparagus is at its peak — snappy, bright green, smelling faintly of the morning — it doesn't need much. A hot oven, a few good minutes, and a generous pour of something worth tasting is really all it takes.

This platter came together one afternoon when we had friends dropping by and not much time to prepare. We roasted asparagus until the tips went just slightly dark and crisp, tore open a ball of burrata, and draped everything with prosciutto and a few basil leaves. Then came the finishing move: a long, slow drizzle of our California Arbequina over the whole platter. That's the moment the dish becomes something more than its parts. The oil's buttery, faintly fruity character wraps around the creamy cheese and the salty prosciutto in a way that's almost embarrassingly good for how little work went into it.

It's the kind of dish that looks like you spent hours on it and takes about twenty minutes start to finish. Serve it with crusty bread and let people help themselves — that's the best kind of entertaining, and it makes a beautiful centerpiece for any spring table.

Prep time: 10 min | Cook time: 15 min | Servings: 4

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Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh asparagus, tough ends snapped off
• 4 oz prosciutto (about 6–8 thin slices)
• 8 oz fresh burrata (one large ball or two small)
• 3 tablespoons Angelica's Organic EVOO, divided, plus more for finishing
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more to finish
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Small handful fresh basil leaves
• Crusty sourdough or ciabatta, for serving

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Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Spread the asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and all of the black pepper.
3. Roast for 10–12 minutes, until the stalks are tender and the tips are beginning to char at the edges. Don't rush this step — those little dark tips are where the flavor lives.
4. While the asparagus roasts, arrange the prosciutto in loose, natural folds across a large serving platter or wooden board. Don't lay it flat — let it drape and crumple; it looks more inviting that way.
5. Remove the asparagus from the oven and let it rest for 2 minutes, then lay the spears over the prosciutto.
6. Tear the burrata open and nestle it in the center of the platter. It will open up and the cream will spill out — let it. That's exactly right.
7. Drizzle everything generously with olive oil. Be liberal here. Scatter the basil leaves across the top, add the lemon zest, and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
8. Bring the platter to the table with warm bread and let people serve themselves.

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Chef's tips:

• Give the asparagus room on the pan. Crowded asparagus steams instead of roasts — use two baking sheets if your bunch is large.
• Pull the burrata from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you're ready to plate. Cold burrata stays closed; room-temperature burrata opens up the way it should, soft and yielding at the center.
• The finishing drizzle is not optional. This is where our Arbequina oil earns its place on the plate — its gentle, buttery character with a hint of pepper on the finish pairs with the richness of the cheese in a way that a sharper oil simply wouldn't. Don't measure it. Grandma never measured, and neither should you.

Salud!