A Brilliant Optical illusion, this recipe is a dead ringer for the classic prosciutto-wrapped asparagus we love. The surprise, of course, is that it is one-hundred-percent vegetarian, and undeniably delicious.

Aiming to overcome the myth that food sans meat is non-dinner-party friendly, chefs Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough created a whole cookbook full of crowd-pleasing plant-based recipes. Each one, compiled and featured in Vegetarian Dinner Parties, is elegant and simple, just like these wrapped spears. Plan on making this recipe for your next Sunday brunch or cozy fall dinner – it’s the perfect accompaniment to your favorite quiche, soufflé or grain-stuffed pumpkin. Here are a few more thoughts on the dish from this veggie-cooking power duo…

Ever the side dish, never the meal: Asparagus is the bridesmaid of vegetables. So we’ve gussied up those (dare we say it?) lackluster spears with radicchio poached in wine and two kinds of vinegar for extra spike. Pickling the leaves in this way softens their bitterness and brings out a rather unexpected sweetness amid the sour notes. We then wrap those leaves around the asparagus, morphing its essential grassiness into better elegance. Perhaps best of all, this spiky but straightforward starter can be made well in advance.