Asparagus and Prosciutto Bundles

Something there is about asparagus that makes one want to create elegant dishes with it.  It's a stalk, for one thing.  Cooks don't get to play with stalks all that often.  So, when I read the very short list of ingredients on a package of Parma proscuitto (pork, salt) at Costco, I felt the time had come for me to try prosciutto for the first time ever. 
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ASPARAGUS AND PROSCIUTTO BUNDLES

I adapted this super simple version from several recipes online.  Some called for a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, which I used, but prosciutto is salty, and the salty Parmesan seemed redundant.  So I left it out of my recipe.

1 pound luscious, local CSA asparagus
3 ounces prosciutto (if using two slices per bundle)
Butter

Lay two pieces of waxed paper out on countertop. Peel slices of prosciutto apart and lay them on one of the pieces of waxed paper.  It's okay if they overlap a bit--you just want to get them apart for ease of use.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Generously butter a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.  Reserve some butter for topping the bundles.

Bring about 1/2 inch lightly salted water to boil in a skillet.  Snap tough ends from asparagus, and wash the stalks.   Simmer asparagus in the water for just a few minutes, until stalks are just crisp tender.  With tongs, remove asparagus from skillet to the other piece of waxed paper.

Divide asparagus stalks into equal-sized bundles.  Wrap each bundle with a piece of prosciutto.  I used two pieces per bundle.  Some directions called for securing them with toothpicks, but I found the prosciutto adhered to itself quite well, and shrank a bit further in the oven, keeping a tight hold on the asparagus.

Place bundles in baking dish, and top each with a little butter.  Bake for 10 minutes or until things start to sizzle a bit.  Remove from oven, turn each bundle a little to bathe it in butter, and serve.  It's easiest to cut the bundles into bite-sized pieces with a sharp knife.

Makes 6 bundles, or about 3 servings.