Asparagus Tart with Puff Pastry - Crispy, Buttery, Cheesy Puff Pastry with meaty Asparagus and Gruyere cheese is one of my favorite Easter Appetizers. You can also serve this as Mother's Day Breakfast or any other Spring Brunch.
This recipe calls for Frozen Puff Pastry sheets. I'm sure you might have them stacked in your freezer.
I use Frozen Puff Pastry all the time. It adds a crispy, buttery goodness to everything. Recipes like Beef Wellington or Spinach dips served in small bite sized Puff Pastry tarts are some of my favorites ❤️
terrific asparagus dish with a simple preparation
Easter is the best time to make recipes with Asparagus. Try Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus or Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Butter or Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
What is Puff Pastry?
Before we begin with the recipe, we must know what is exactly Puff Pastry?
Puff pastry is known as “pâte feuilletée” in French.
Basically in plain layman terms Puff Pastry is just a dough made with all purpose flour, salt, ice cold water, and most importantly very cold butter.
The dough is wrapped in a plastic wrap and can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.
To save time I purchase Frozen Puff Pastry when I go for grocery shopping. You can easily find them in the frozen aisle of food sections or sweet and savory pastry sections.
Is crescent dough the same as puff pastry? Yes. If you don't find Puff Pastry you can buy crescent dough. The texture will be almost same. Crispy, Buttery, and Flaky.
Can I use Phyllo dough - NO. Phyllo Dough is mainly used for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean recipes. It has less fat content and therefore flakier. You cannot make asparagus tart with such flaky pastry dough.
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crave worthy appetizer for parties
Puff pastry filled with asparagus and cheese is so easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time.
Crispy and savory, asparagus placed over buttery Puff Pastry and that delicious cheese sauce makes every bite enjoyable.
Delicate and crisp Asparagus Tart is a wonderful appetizer to serve with drinks.
Before you serve your Easter Brunch prepare this delicious Asparagus Tart in less than 30-minutes.
Or else you can easily add it to your Easter Side Dish Menu. Serve this with some fresh green salad and you are sorted.
Ingredients needed to make Asparagus tart
- Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets - You can use homemade Puff Pastry to make this tart. But, just to save time I used frozen Puff Pastry sheets.
- Medium Asparagus rinsed, trimmed, and patted dry - My go-to is a thin asparagus. You can use thick Asparagus but then it'll be hard for you to cut out small pieces of the tart.
- Gruyère Cheese - Gruyère is my first preference when making Asparagus Tart. But, you can't go wrong with Fontina cheese or Cheddar or Burrata or Feta or Ricotta.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese - A touch of freshly grated Parmesan adds that missing nuttiness to this Asparagus Tart recipe.
- Heavy Cream - I use heavy cream to combine cheese. You can use water or whole milk to make the sauce.
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Egg wash - To make the egg wash I combine one beaten egg with a tablespoon of heavy cream. Instead of heavy cream you can also use water or milk.
How to Make The Best Asparagus Tart
Step 1: Start Preparing your Asparagus
The first step of the recipe is to prepare your Asparagus. Rinse under cold running water and then pat it dry using a paper towel.
Step 2: Roll out Puff Pastry
Before you roll out your Puff Pastry you need to flour your surface. And, before you flour your surface you need to Thaw your Puff Pastry at room temperature. Nest roll your Puff Pastry using a rolling pin into a 10x15 inch rectangle.
Transfer to a half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Step 3: Make a Border around the edges
Use a Knife to make a 1-inch border around the edge. Take a fork and pierce the center leaving 1-inch border around the edges. We do this because we don't want the center to puff up.
Step 4: Make the Cheese Sauce
In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine Gruyère Cheese, Grated Parmesan Cheese, and a couple of tablespoon of Heavy Cream. You want the cheese sauce to be spreadable.
Step 5: Schmear the Sauce
Schmear the sauce using the back of the spoon into the puff pastry.
Step 6: Arrange Asparagus
Arrange Asparagus in a row. Drizzle olive oil lightly and sprinkle salt and pepper as per taste.
Step 7: Brush the Sides with Egg wash
Brush the sides with egg wash. I use heavy cream and beaten egg to make my egg wash. You can also use water or milk to make egg wash.
Step 8: Bake
Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 20-22 minutes. Serve with fresh green salad and serve right away.
Cooking Variations
You can make the following cooking variations.
- Cream Cheese - You can use Cream Cheese. Cream Cheese has a tarty taste and feels so amazing.
- Goat Cheese - Goat Cheese has a tarty and earthy taste. Therefore it can definitely be a part of your Asparagus Tart.
- Mayonnaise - You can use Mayonnaise to make the cheese sauce in the center.
- Garlic - A few cloves of minced garlic would add a brilliant taste to your Asparagus Tart.
- Sweet Onions - I think you can add sweet onions to make your cheese sauce more flavorful.
Can I use Ricotta?
Yes you can use ricotta. But make sure you drain it out using a strainer. Place your ricotta cheese on a strainer overnight and allow the liquid to drain out completely.
Can I use Feta?
Yes you can use Feta Cheese. Make sure it is fresh and not gone bad. Feta spoils so quickly. So, make sure it is absolutely fresh and don't forget to drain the water.
Can I add Mushrooms?
Yes you can add Mushrooms as well. But, I would prefer sautèeing chopped mushrooms with some butter in a skillet over medium heat until tender.
Can I make these Ahead of time?
I would say yes and no. Yes you can make this ahead of time. Keep them in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-minutes.
But, it is best that you make this fresh. It only takes 30-minutes to make them from scratch.
Recipe Card
Easy Asparagus Tart Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 10x15 inch sheet frozen puff pastry thawed at room temperature
- 1 lb. medium asparagus Rinse under cold running water and then pat it dry using a paper towel.
- 1 cup gruyère cheese (or cheddar cheese), shredded
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- salt and pepper as per taste
Egg wash
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream (or water or milk)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Thaw Puff Pastry at room temperature for 40-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a half sheet baking pan with parchment paper. set aside.
- Flour the surface and unfold the Puff Pastry. Roll using a rolling pin into a rectangle approximately 10x15 inches.
- Use a paring knife and make a 1-inch border around the puff pastry. Take a fork and piece the center leaving 1-inch border on the side.
- Transfer to a half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl combine Gruyere Cheese, Shredded Parmesan Cheese, and just a couple of tablespoons of Heavy Cream. Stir well and make sure it is spreadable.
- Use the back of your spoon or a knife to schmear the sauce on the puff pastry leaving out 1-inch border on the sides.
- Arrange the asparagus in a row. Drizzle Olive Oil thinly, sprinkle a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the sides with egg wash. To make egg wash just combine one egg with a tablespoon of heavy cream or milk or plain water.
- Place it in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 20-22 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow it to cool down for about 10-15 minutes.
- Serve with a fresh green salad and enjoy.
James says
I loved this recipe for asparagus tart. You explained everything in such detail that it was a breeze for me to make it.
Anjali says
Thank you.
Michelle Sharpe says
This recipe for Asparagus Tart was super amazing. Crispy flaky puff pastry with asparagus was simply so good.
Anjali says
Thanks so glad you liked it.