Next week Susie is taking me to Babbo for my birthday, because that’s the kind of lady she is. She discovered, while bopping around the Babbo web site, that Mario Batali has a few recipes he’s suggesting for Super Bowl partying. Two out of the three might be a little more hairy, preparation-wise, than we’d want to make in a big, gut-busting batch (even though “Stuffed Rice Balls Roman-Style” sound great). The grilled prosciutto-wrapped grilled asparagus, however, is a classic and should be easy to bang out by the pound.

2 pounds asparagus, medium to thick stalks (about ½ inch in diameter)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
1/2 pound prosciutto

1. Snap off the bottom of each asparagus stem, which should politely break right where the woody part ends. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the bottom 3 inches of the stem.

2. Brush the stems with olive oil and sprinkle with salt

3. Grill the asparagus over medium high heat until lightly browned all over, 3 to 4 minutes.(Be sure to place the stems across the grates so they won’t fall through)

4. Let the asparagus cool, then, wrap a cluster of 3 or 4 asparagus in a slice of prosciutto.

5. Arrange on a platter and serve

Football Fare [BabboNYC.com] (Image via Food Diary.)