Asparagus and Jamon are already a perfect pairing, and this simple recipe uses delicious Spanish ingredients to take things to the next level. Start with top-quality jamón from Mercado Famous, either Iberian or Serrania will work well. Topped with grated Manchego cheese, this recipe is a real showstopper.

Ingredients:

• 18 green asparagus spears (2-3 per person if serving as an appetizer), ends trimmed
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 5-6 oz thinly sliced cured Jamon from Mercado Famous (Iberian, Serrano)
• Black pepper
• Grated Manchego cheese

Directions:

Step 1: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and preheat your oven to 425°F.

Step 2: In a large bowl or baking dish, coat the asparagus spears with extra virgin olive oil and fresh black pepper (remember that the cured Jamon and Manchego cheese are both salty, so skip adding extra salt here).

Step 3: Wrap each asparagus spear with cured Jamon. Roll on the diagonal to fully wrap the asparagus. Place each wrapped spear on the baking sheet, making sure they aren’t touching one another, and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Step 4: Bake for five minutes on the middle rack.

Step 5: Flip each Jamon wrapped asparagus spear and grate manchego cheese on top. Return to the oven and bake for five minutes.

Step 6: Optionally, broil on the top rack 1-2 minutes or until golden on top.

Step 7: Let cool for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

Tip: Do not overlap asparagus in the oven, otherwise they’ll steam instead of getting crispy.

Fancy it up: Use white asparagus like the Spaniards do.