This easy asparagus tart made with store-bought puff pastry is buttery and crisp, with melty Gruyère on top! Very little prep, and cooks in less than 30 minutes! A perfect spring recipe!
What could be better for spring than this fresh asparagus tart, made with store-bought puff pastry to keep things easy for you in the kitchen?
We'll add Gruyère cheese that melts dreamily so you get a crispy crust and a gooey center. Lemon loves asparagus, so let's add a little zest to keep flavors bright, too.
It's almost too good to be true, that something this beautiful is so simple to prepare. Using just a few ingredients, and with less than 10 minutes of prep, you can have an asparagus tart on the table for Easter lunch, a chic brunch, or almost any spring celebration!
Can't get enough asparagus? Try my Asparagus Risotto! And if puff pastry tarts are what you love, check out my Heirloom Tomato Tart!
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Asparagus tart ingredients
With just a few ingredients—only 6, not including pantry staples—you can make a beautiful asparagus tart that's loaded with flavor and sure to impress!
- Store-bought puff pastry: I recommend all-butter puff pastry. It tastes better, it looks better, it's flakier. So check the label to make sure it is made with butter and not vegetable oil. Trader Joe's makes a very affordable all-butter version.
- Fresh asparagus: Asparagus can be very thick or very thin, and either is fine for this tart recipe. Look for asparagus spears with tightly closed tips that are firm and have a good color. See tips below for prep instructions.
- Gruyère cheese: Only the best melty cheese for a tart like this! Grate your own for better flavor and melting factor.
- Parmesan cheese: The real parmigiano reggiano, please. It tastes so much better.
- Dijon mustard: This adds a bit of acid and bite to balance out the cheese.
- Olive oil: Just a little to coat the asparagus spears so they can be seasoned.
- Lemon zest: Adding lemon zest once the tart is baked gives it a freshness and floral aroma that lifts up all the other flavors. Once you've learned how to use citrus zest in recipes like this, you'll be hooked!
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make an asparagus tart
Step 1: Thaw the puff pastry
Remove the puff pastry from the freezer and thaw overnight in the fridge.
Prep tip
It is SO important to thaw the puff pastry in the refrigerator, NOT on the counter. If the puff pastry isn't completely thawed, you risk it cracking and breaking when you try to roll it out. BUT it still needs to remain cold to keep the butter cold, so don't let it sit out on the counter. When the butter is cold, it will puff with steam when it hits the hot oven giving you those beautiful crispy layers, and that's what we want!
Step 2: Roll out the puff pastry
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll the puff pastry out to an 11-inch by 14-inch rectangle.
Use a small knife to gently score it to create a one-inch border, being careful not to cut all the way through. Then use a fork to gently prick the surface of the pastry inside the border, again, not going all the way through.
Transfer the puff pastry to a parchment lined sheet pan and place in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
Prep tip
We're using the fork to "dock" the pastry, which means we'll make tiny little holes to let air out so that it won't puff up too much. We want the center of the tart to stay flat so we can lay our asparagus on it.
Step 3: Grate the cheese
Meanwhile, grate the gruyère on the large holes of a box grater, and grate the parmesan on the small holes. Use a microplane grater to zest the lemon.
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Step 4: Prep and season the asparagus
Break the woody stems off the asparagus spears. (See tips below.) Then toss them with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Step 5: Assemble the tart
Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator and use a pastry brush to spread the Dijon mustard inside the border.
Top with the grated gruyère, then the parmesan, again staying inside the border.
Add the asparagus on top of the cheese. I like to alternate the direction of the tips, but you do what looks pretty to you.
Step 6: Bake the tart
Bake your asparagus tart for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing. Top with lemon zest and serve.
Recommended tools and equipment
- Rolling pin: To roll out the puff pastry and prep it into the proper shape for the tart. I like French rolling pins, their tapered ends make them easier to handle.
- Paring knife and ruler: You'll need the knife to score the edge of the pastry to create a border. A small paring knife with a sharp point is best. Just don't use one with a serrated edge because that might catch too much of the pastry and mess up your crust. The ruler is a "nice to have" not a "need to have", because you can eyeball the 1-inch border. But once you get a baking ruler in your kitchen, you'll find you use it a lot.
- Pastry brush or offset spatula: You'll need one or the other to help you spread the mustard on the bottom of the tart evenly.
- Box grater: To grate the cheese. Freshly grated cheese tastes and melts better!
- Sheet pan and parchment paper: To bake the asparagus tart so it doesn't stick to the pan.
- Optional: If you have a pizza cutter, using it can make slicing easier.
Asparagus tart tips and substitutions
- To trim the asparagus, gently grip each end and bend, the spear will naturally snap in the right place, leaving the woody stem in one hand and the tender spear in the other. You can find a more detailed description of this process in my Baked Asparagus post.
- When rolling out the puff pastry into the tart shape, go from corner to corner in one direction, then do the same on each side. Do not go back and forth. Rolling in one direction will help you to keep the proper shape and prevent you from overworking the dough.
- I always grate my own cheese. Pre-grated cheese can get dried out, and doesn't melt as well because it's coated with anti-caking agents. It tastes better, too!
- You can really pack the asparagus in tight, as it will shrink as the tart cooks. Don't be afraid to try to get a few more on there!
- If you don't like Gruyère, substitute fontina. Pecorino romano can be swapped for the parmigiano reggiano.
Serving suggestions
You can serve an asparagus tart as a vegetarian main course, on a holiday buffet, or as an appetizer. It would be lovely alongside a Strawberry Arugula Salad with Basil and Mint, or try it with Cumin-Roasted Carrots. Serve it as an appetizer next to Radishes with Radish Leaf Butter, or Pimento Cheese Dip. It would be oh-so-pretty at a bridal shower next to a pink-hued Jasmine Cocktail.
This asparagus tart is easy, flavorful, and beautiful!
- Only takes about 40 minutes from prep to serving it!
- It's a beautiful way to showcase fresh asparagus in season!
- Store-bought puff pastry makes a crispy tart and keeps things quick and easy.
- Dijon mustard lightens up the earthiness of Gruyère and parmesan, lemon zest on top brings out the flavor of the asparagus.
- It's a vegetarian tart!
More spring recipes
Think spring with these ideas made with the freshest produce of the season. No matter what you find at the farmer's market, you'll see some ideas here.
- No time for a tart? Baked Asparagus with Parmesan is a super-simple spring side dish, ready in 15 minutes!
- Asparagus Quiche is another amazing brunch recipe that can be made with store-bought pastry for a quick and easy shortcut.
- Baked Salmon with Radishes and Peas celebrates the flavors and bright colors of spring!
- Crostini with Peas, Mint and 'Nduja go perfectly with a glass of rosé.
- A Bee's Knees Cocktail would be the perfect drink to serve alongside this springtime tart. Especially at brunch!
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Recipe
Asparagus Tart with Puff Pastry
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Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 6 oz gruyère cheese
- 1 oz parmesan
- lemon zest from one lemon
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- On a lightly floured surface, gently roll the puff pastry out to an 11-inch by 14-inch rectangle. Use a small knife to gently score it to create a one-inch border, being careful not to cut all the way through. Then use a fork to gently prick the surface of the pastry inside the border, again, not going all the way through.
- Carefully transfer the puff pastry to a parchment lined sheet pan and place in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, grate the gruyère on the large holes of a box grater, and grate the parmesan on the small holes. Use a microplane grater to zest the lemon.
- Break the woody stems off the asparagus spears. (See note below.) Then toss them with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator and use a pastry brush to spread the Dijon mustard inside the border.
- Top with the grated gruyère, then the parmesan, again staying inside the border.
- Add the asparagus on top of the cheese. I like to alternate the direction of the tips, but you do what looks pretty to you.
- Bake the tart for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing. Top with lemon zest and serve.
Notes
- To trim the asparagus, gently grip each end and bend, the spear will naturally snap in the right place, leaving the woody stem in one hand and the tender spear in the other.
- When rolling out the puff pastry, go from corner to corner in one direction, then do the same on each side. Do not go back and forth. Rolling in one direction will help you to keep the proper shape and prevent you from overworking the dough.
- You can really pack the asparagus in tight, as it will shrink when it cooks. Don't be afraid to try to get a few more on there!
- If you don't like gruyère, substitute fontina. Pecorino romano can be swapped for the parmigiano reggiano.
Linda
Can you make this ahead and gently reheat?
Debra
Hi Linda,
You could make it an hour or so ahead, and then warm it at 200 degrees uncovered before serving. But I don't recommend baking it, then refrigerating it overnight, then reheating. The asparagus may start to release some of its water, and the puff pastry will also take on some moisture from the fridge, and just won't get as crispy as it does when freshly prepared.
Don't get me wrong, I've certainly reheated leftovers in the oven. But if you're making it for a nice meal, you'll want to cook it and present it right away.
Thanks for reading and trying my recipes!
Debra
Donna
Going to make this for next girlfriends get together!!
Debra
Hi Donna,
Yay! I know the girlfriends will love it!
Thanks for reading,
Debra