Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Asparagus

This isn’t just another chicken recipe. Prosciutto-wrapped chicken with asparagus is impossibly juicy, and the fresh asparagus brings a pop of spring brightness. Plus, this easy, show-stopper dinner is healthy to boot. Well, I mean, besides the cream. But the asparagus totally makes up for that, right? Originally published February 7, 2014.

Guys, I don’t want to brag or anything, but I’m pretty much single-handedly saving the whales over here. I haven’t had a longer-than-5-minute shower in months. I know the rest of you are getting pounded with snow right now, but we Californians are in drought-land.

Okay…that’s not actually why I’m taking 5-minute showers. I’m not that good of a person. No, we just have a crappy from-the-past water heater. 5 minutes. That’s it. 5 minutes, and then I’m left with barely warm water. And I like my showers HOT.

I was talking to my friend Lara about this today, and she said, “If my skin is not red when I get out, then it wasn’t a hot enough shower.” Yes. Yes.

A sad residual of this fact is that I now only have 1 square foot of shower space that is not filthy. My usual strategy for cleaning the shower is to wipe it down with a magic eraser every day. Because if I have to clean something, doing it with hot water streaming on my skin is how I want it done. (I would clean everything in the shower if I could.)

But who has time for shower-scrubbing when you only have 3 minutes to shampoo AND condition your hair? 2 minutes to shave your legs??

Good thing my mother-in-law is coming to town next week, otherwise my one-square-foot of clean shower would slowly diminish until eventually I’d be showering on tiptoe. Nothing beats a mother-in-law when it comes to cleaning motivation. (Love you, Kris! :)

I seriously need to get Eric to turn up the temperature on the water heater. He’s going to notice soon that I never shave my legs anymore.

I’m trying to think of a segue from shaved legs to Valentine’s Day, and boy, have I got some, but let’s keep this blog G-rated.

If you are braving the crowded restaurants on V-day, more power to you, but I, for one, will be making dinner at home. A fast one, that doesn’t require any thought, so that I can get back to making good use of my shaved legs. (Don’t worry, I’ll take a shower in the guest bathroom. TMI?)

This chicken will knock your socks off

This prosciutto-wrapped chicken with asparagus is a good option. Classy, pretty, and suuuper easy, tossed in a silky basil pesto cream sauce. It’s got texture, it’s got color, and every bite delivers big, balanced flavor. Even better, it comes together in about 30 minutes. Perfect for those at-home date nights.

Key ingredients

• Use fresh asparagus. Put the canned stuff away. (Or throw it away.) 
• For this recipe, thin-sliced chicken breasts are key. You can carefully butterfly and slice them yourself, or save yourself some time (and a little sanity) by grabbing the pre-sliced cutlets from the store. No judgment here. Pro tip: to butterfly a chicken breast, place your hand flat on top and CAREFULLY slice it horizontally through the middle with a sharp knife, stopping just before cutting all the way through so the breast opens like a book.
• You can use homemade or store-bought basil pesto. I think both are fine for this recipe. Use whatever you have. 

How to make prosciutto-wrapped chicken with asparagus

Try to find these “thin cut” chicken breasts. It will save you some time.

Wrap up those bad boys with a slice of prosciutto. 

Fry it up on the stove. Don’t crowd your meat; use 2 pans if you have to.

Whisk up some creamy pesto…

Add some asparagus…

And voila!

How good does this look? SOOOO good.

What to serve with prosciutto-wrapped chicken

So many options! 

• I never say no to mashed potatoes. Perfect for date night!
• Oven-roasted red potatoes would also be great–and easy!
• This lemon arugula salad would pair perfectly with salty prosciutto.
• Don’t forget some homemade French bread to sop up the delicious creamy pesto sauce. 

How to store

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. If possible, keep the sauce separate from the chicken and asparagus to help everything maintain the best texture.

How to reheat

Warm leftover chicken and asparagus in a skillet over medium-low heat, adding a splash of cream or chicken broth to loosen the sauce if needed. You can also microwave in 30-second increments, covered, stirring the sauce in between so it heats evenly. 

Can I freeze prosciutto-wrapped chicken with asparagus?

Yes, you can freeze the cooked chicken (with or without the sauce) for up to 2 months. Let it cool completely, then wrap tightly and store in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently on the stovetop. Don´t bother freezing the asparagus, as it gets too mushy. Just make it fresh when serving. 

Can I make prosciutto-wrapped chicken with asparagus in advance?

Yes, but with a couple of easy tweaks. You can wrap the chicken in prosciutto up to 24 hours in advance. Arrange the wrapped cutlets in a single layer, cover tightly, and refrigerate until ready to cook. When it’s time for dinner, just sear and finish cooking as directed.

You can also trim the asparagus ahead of time and store it in the fridge (wrapped in a damp paper towel inside a bag) until you’re ready to cook.

If you’d like to fully cook the dish ahead, it does reheat well. Just warm it gently on the stovetop with a splash of cream or broth to loosen the sauce and keep the chicken tender. For the best texture, slightly undercook the asparagus if you know you’ll be reheating it later.