Asparagus Spears Wrapped in Ham and Phyllo Pastry

1. Put two cups of water in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

2. Trim about 1/2 to 1 inch off the bottom of the asparagus. Then put them all in the pot of boiling water to cook for 30 seconds.

3. Quickly take the asparagus out from the boiling water and submerge them into the ice water. This is called blanching and it stops the cooking while locking in the crispness and color. After letting them cool down for a minute, drain the asparagus and pat it dry.

4. Lay out six slices of ham and spread half a teaspoon of mustard evenly across each one. Then cut the ham slices in half and wrap each one around an asparagus spear.

5. Lay out a single sheet of phyllo and spray it with the buttery spray. Layer a second sheet on top of the first, then cut it into six strips, about 1.5 inches wide for each one. Then spray the phyllo with butter spray again.

6. Take the phyllo and start wrapping it around the asparagus to hold the ham tight. Wrap the butter sprayed side touching the asparagus. Then place on a baking sheet covered in tinfoil or that has a wire rack on top.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the remaining six asparagus spears.

8. Lightly spray all the asparagus again and sprinkle the parmesan over the top. Then bake for 8-10 minutes until the phyllo turns a golden brown.

9. Serve immediately.

If you want to prepare this in advance, do everything but step eight. Cover the wrapped asparagus with a damp towel and put in the refrigerator, you can store it up to eight hours. Just before serving, remove from the refrigerator, spray with butter, sprinkle with parmesan and bake.

Yield: 12 Servings (Each serving is 1 wrapped spear.)