A simple side dish that looks impressive, this Asparagus Tart only takes a few ingredients and a few minutes of hands on time. It would make a great springtime holiday side dish.
Asparagus is a springtime favorite over here! For more ways to cook asparagus, try Roasted Asparagus, Creamy Baked Asparagus, or Maple Mustard Sauteed Asparagus.
Whenever I start seeing asparagus pop up at the store, I immediately start thinking springtime.
And let me tell you – I’m so ready for it this year. Give me all of the asparagus and lemon and artichokes.
This Asparagus Tart screams spring to me. I love it because not only would it make the perfect holiday side dish, (hello, Easter!), but it would be fabulous as part of a brunch spread.
It doesn’t hurt that it’s super easy any only requires a few ingredients.
Ingredients
Puff Pastry: This is one ingredient that I don’t try to make from scratch. Especially when I’m going for an easy recipe, like this one. Grab a package from the grocery store and call it good! Most packs come with 2 pieces – you’ll only need one for this recipe, and save the other for this Tomato Tart with Bacon and Gruyere.
Olive Oil: I like to use extra-virgin olive oil.
Garlic: Freshly minced garlic will give you the most flavor, but if you have some that is jarred, that should work. In a pinch, you could use about 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, but I would use this as a very last resort.
Cheese: Gruyere is my favorite for this recipe. Gruyere is a mild, nutty cheese. If you can’t find it or want a substitution, try fontina, dubliner, or Jarlsberg. No matter what kind of cheese you use, you’ll want to use freshly grated cheese.
Asparagus: I weighed my asparagus before I trimmed it and it was about 1 pound. I like to use asparagus that is about as thick on the thick end as a pinky finger. If you have smaller asparagus, it will get quite tender (maybe even too tender) during the bake time. If you have thicker asparagus, you might want to blanche it in boiling water about 2 minutes before adding it to the tart.
Salt and Pepper: Add this to taste. You may not even want extra salt since the cheese is salty.
How to Make this Asparagus Tart
- Set the puff pastry out to thaw for about 30 minutes. (You don’t want it warm, just thawed enough to roll out.) Make sure and keep it covered with a towel so that it doesn’t dry out. While it is thawing, combine the olive oil and garlic and let it sit until it is needed.
- Cut your asparagus. Usually, I’ll bend the asparagus and where it breaks is where the woody side ends and the tender side starts. But for this recipe, I’ll trim the asparagus to be about 9 inches long so that it will fit well on my tart.
- Place the puff pastry on a piece of parchment paper. (This makes it easy to transfer to a baking sheet.) Roll it out to a rectangle about 16×10-inches. Next take a sharp knife as score a border around the pastry, about 1 inch from the edge. You aren’t cutting all of the way through, just cut lightly so it goes through just part of the dough.
- Take a fork and generously prick the inside of the tart, leaving the 1-inch border alone.
- Now take the pastry on the parchment paper and slide it onto a baking sheet. Transfer it to the oven and let it bake until it starts to puff up and is partially baked. Remove it from the oven.
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly on top of the pastry, still avoiding the 1-inch border.
- Place the asparagus in a single layer on top of the cheese. I made them all face the same way, but if you want each piece to have an even amount of tops and bottoms, then you can alternate the asparagus.
- Drizzle the reserved garlic and oil over the top, then sprinkle with salt and pepper, if using. Return it to the oven to bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the asparagus is al dente.
Tips and Tricks
This is best served after making. The pastry will get soggy if it is stored, so you wouldn’t want to make it ahead of time. If you do have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I like this tart best when it is still warm from the oven, but it is still delicious at room temperature.
I cut this into 6 pieces, but they can certainly be cut smaller if you are feeding a larger group and have more options for side dishes.
This is easiest to cut with a sharp, long knife. You can also use a pizza cutter, but I think it’s harder to keep the asparagus where its supposed to be with the pizza cutter.
Ways to Change it Up
Don’t get me wrong – this tart is perfect as is. But if you want to add a little bit more, here are a few suggestions.
- Add cooked, crumbled bacon to the top.
- Sprinkle with parmesan before baking.
- Drizzle with a balsamic glaze just before serving.
- Add prosciutto to the top.
- Sprinkle with freshly chopped herbs.
- Spread a thin layer of ricotta before adding the gruyere.
More Ideas for a Springtime Brunch
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
French Toast Cups
Quiche Lorraine
Raspberry Lemon Breakfast Biscuits
Lemon Scones with Nutmeg and Cherries
Monte Cristo Sandwich Loaf
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Asparagus Tart
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (246 g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 5 oz Gruyere cheese shredded
- 1 lb asparagus
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Put the puff pastry out to thaw slightly, about 30 minutes. (Make sure and keep it covered so that it does not dry out.)
- While the puff pastry is thawing, combine the olive oil and the garlic and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Place the puff pastry on a sheet of parchment paper. Roll out into a rectangle about 16×10-inches. Take a sharp knife and score a border around the pastry about 1 inch from the edges. Do not cut through all the way, just lightly score the top layer. Take a fork and generously prick the inside of the rectangle, making sure to leave the 1-inch border alone.
- Transfer the pastry on the parchment paper to a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle the gruyere over the middle of the puff pastry. Arrange the asparagus over the cheese. Drizzle the garlic olive oil over the top, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Return to the oven and bake until the puff pastry is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 15-20 minutes.
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