In Charles’ words:
As a small boy, I had no interest in playing with toys. Gifts given were quickly passed on to my cousin George and best pal at three and four years old. George was my opposite, he adored toys and I was glad to be rid of them. What I did have an interest in was playing with and creating arrangements with vegetables from our garden that my grandmother was preparing for lunch or dinner.
One of my fav’s was her home-grown asparagus which as I remember once planted took several years to bear its spiky fruit and when it did, we would fill a basket full. Fresh from the garden, before trimming I would create bouquets using all the veggies that were soon to be cooked with the asparagus as the star element.
A delicious, versatile highly nutrient-dense vegetable in season. Fresh from your grandma’s garden, whether roasted or boiled, or as a bouquet in an old jam jar to dress a summer table, asparagus is a star of any meal.
My mouth waters thinking of it paired and wrapped with prosciutto, cream cheese and garlic; add warm, fresh-baked, crusty Italian bread, a yummy Italian Tortellini summer salad served cold and a mixed bowl of sweet and tart mixed fresh fruit salad all for you presented here in Nancy’s recipes that follows.
Our July menu will be dedicated to our Nancy- who will be on a well-deserved vaca. We’ll be planning July’s Dinner menu; a collaboration in appreciation of her yummy recipes, for her and for you, our readers – from the staff at Charles Spada.
From our Nancy:
This month’s recipes include –
- Broiled Asparagus Spears with Prosciutto and Garlic Cream Cheese
- Tortellini Salad
- Macedonia (fruit salad)
This tasty trio is rooted in early summer in Italy—June at its most effortless and seasonal, when the heat is just beginning to settle in and the food turns lighter, fresher, and more casual without losing its richness.
Broiled asparagus spears wrapped in prosciutto with a touch of garlic cream cheese capture that classic Italian balance of salty and green, indulgent and bright. It’s the kind of dish that shows up as a warm antipasto—simple ingredients, elevated by peak-season produce and minimal intervention.
The tortellini salad brings in a cooler, more relaxed counterpoint: tender pasta folded into a chilled, vibrant mix that works perfectly for long lunches, picnics, or make-ahead summer gatherings. It reflects how Italians start shifting away from heavy, steaming plates toward dishes that hold up in the heat and improve as they sit.
And to finish, Macedonia—the traditional Italian fruit salad—ties everything back to the season itself. Ripe stone fruit, citrus, and berries come together in a naturally sweet, lightly dressed finale that feels like June in a bowl: unfussy, refreshing, and entirely dependent on what’s at its peak that day.
Together, the three dishes mirror the rhythm of an Italian early-summer table—savory to cool, rich to bright, ending in pure seasonal simplicity.
Broiled Asparagus Spears with Prosciutto and Garlic Cream Cheese
- 12 spears of asparagus of similar width
- 6 slices of prosciutto, each slice cut in half widthwise
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 3 larges cloves garlic
- 1 TBS Torre di Gamberaia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp. Is de Re salt for sprinkling
- Parchment paper
Fill a flat stainless sauté pan ¾ full of water and bring to a boil. Blanch the asparagus spears until they are still firm but tender enough to eat.
Gently rinse the asparagus in cold water to stop the cooking process.
Press garlic using garlic press or cut into tiny pieces. Add to the cream cheese in a small bowl and mix well.
Place all the slices of prosciutto on a large cutting board and spread each with approximately 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture.
Starting at the end of each slice of prosciutto, place one asparagus spear over each of the slices so that each end of the spear protrudes evenly. Roll from one end of the slice to the other end and place on a flat cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
Continue with each asparagus spear, placing them evenly on the sheet with a separation between each.
Drizzle the olive oil over the spears and boil for 6-8 minutes until crispy, but keep watch – you do not want your wonderful cheese mixture to escape! Sprinkle with Il de re salt.
These are easy to make in advance – prepare until just before broiling, store in refrigerator and pop them in the oven on the morning of your picnic.
Tortellini Salad
- 1 16 oz package fresh cheese tortellini (refrigerated type)
- 1 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained and sliced into thin strips (or freshly roasted if you prefer)
- 1 12 oz jar or 3 4oz jars quartered marinated artichoke hearts, drained (reserve the liquid)
- 1 cup sharp provolone cheese, cut into even cubes 1/4 – 1/3 inch square
- 1 to 2 cups fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
- 2 TBS Il de re salt for cooking water for tortellini
- Dressing:
- ½ cup Torre di Gamberaia Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus 1 TBS)
- ¼ cup aged balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp Il de re Salt – or to taste Ground black pepper – to taste
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to the briefest time listed on the package instructions (if it is 3-5 minutes, cook only for 3 minutes). Once cooked, drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Add the tortellini to a bowl large enough to accommodate all the ingredients, together with 1TBS extra virgin olive oil to prevent it from sticking.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together the ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper until emulsified.
In the bowl containing the tortellini, add the roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes hearts, and provolone cheese.
Add 3 TBS of the dressing from the marinated artichokes.
Add the basil ribbons and salt and pepper.
Pour the balsamic dressing over the salad and toss very gently from the bottom of the bowl up – be mindful to not break up the tortellini!
Enjoy immediately at room temperature or cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
If you keep this overnight, you may want to refresh with a bit of olive oil, balsamic and salt
Macedonia (fruit salad)
- 1 bunch green grapes, approximately 25
- 1-1/2 cups pineapple
- 2 Oranges
- 1 crisp red apple
- 2 kiwi
- 1 banana (optional, if using, add at the last minute)
- 1-1/2 cups strawberries
- 1-1/2 cups blueberries
- ½ cup Orange juice from oranges or clementines
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 TBS sugar
- Mint or basil (optional)
Peel the apple and cut into small pieces and add it to the lemon juice – this will prevent it from browning after being cut.
Mix the orange juice, lemon juice with the apple, and sugar in a bowl large enough to accommodate the fruit salad.
Peel the kiwi and oranges.
Cut the kiwi and oranges and remaining fruit into similar sized pieces – not too large, so they will absorb the juices of each other.
Mix all ingredients together with the orange, lemon with apple, and sugar.
Fabulous Rivesaline French salts from the Ile De Re coast.
Nancy’s flavorful extra virgin olive oil at: torredigamberaia.com
