This easy asparagus tart with 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!
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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?
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 this on the table for Easter lunch, a chic brunch, or almost any spring celebration!
Ingredients
- 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 recipe. Look for 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 French 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.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make it
Thaw the puff pastry overnight in the fridge.
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.
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 tips 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. (A pizza cutter makes slicing easy!) Top with lemon zest and serve.
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.
- 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.
- 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 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.
Related Recipes
Think spring with these ideas!
- 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!
Recipe
Asparagus Tart with Puff Pastry
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.
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