Asparagus Cheese Tart With Puff Pastry

Asparagus cheese tart with puff pastry is a quick and easy lunch and perfect for the asparagus season.

Fun fact - did you know asparagus is actually a type of grass?

This easy Asparagus Tart with puff pastry and Comte cheese is so quick and simple, and you can either serve it hot straight out of the oven or it's just as delicious at room temperature if you want to make it in advance. I use store-bought puff pastry, as it is so much easier and takes the hassle out of things.

Jump to:

• When is asparagus season?
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Baking asparagus tart
• Wine pairing for asparagus cheese tart
• Serving suggestions
• Equipment
• Storage
• FAQ
• Other Spring recipes to try
• Asparagus Cheese Tart With Puff Pastry

When is asparagus season?

Asparagus is in season in springtime, and it grows alarmingly fast. We often have to pick asparagus twice a day during warmer weather! Ideally, pick asparagus when spears are between 6 and 9 inches long. The really thick stems can sometimes be a bit woody, which is why you don't find them in shops, but this is a shame as they still taste good; you need to trim a bit more off the base of the stem. An easy asparagus tart is one of my favorite recipes with asparagus, and this is incredibly easy.

I love cooking with puff pastry, and one of my favorite recipes to make is this salmon en croute.

Ingredients

1. Asparagus: You can use any of the many types of asparagus in this easy Spring recipe, including white asparagus or purple asparagus. We grow green asparagus at home, so I use this.
2. All butter Puff Pastry: Store-bought puff pastry is so easy to use and comes rolled into a sheet, so all you have to do is unroll, blind bake, and assemble this asparagus tart.
3. Comté cheese: Comté is a rich and flavorful French cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk. It has a similar profile to Gruyere.
4. Egg yolk: The richness of egg yolks gives a deep and filling flavor to this tart, and they also act as a leavener and binding agent for the other ingredients. Always use room-temperature eggs. And make macarons with leftover egg whites!
5. Plain yogurt: I love baking with yogurt. It gives a creamy texture as well as vital acidity to recipes like this tart and pumpkin yogurt cake.
6. Milk: Use whole milk in this asparagus cheese tart filling.
7. Dijon mustard: You can use any French mustard, and use powdered if you don't have any fresh. It just lifts the tart filling. You don't really taste it.
8. Salt and pepper: Salt is a flavor enhancer, bringing out this tart's amazing taste. Pepper adds a tiny fleck of spice.

See the recipe card for full quantities and step-by-step instructions.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius / 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare a lined oven sheet with greased baking parchment paper.
3. Blind bake the puff pastry. Unroll and prick the puff pastry with a fork to avoid it puffing up too much, and bake it for 10-12 minutes until it is lightly golden brown.
4. Remove it from the oven, and turn the temperature down to 150 degrees Celsius / 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes, then plunge it into ice-cold water to stop them from cooking. We want them to still be on the firmer side so that they don't go soggy. There are few things worse than soggy asparagus.
6. Make the Comte cheese filling. Mix together the grated cheese, mustard, yogurt, milk, and egg yolks in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

If you're using homemade puff pastry, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is ¼ inch thick.

Baking asparagus tart

1. Assemble the asparagus tart. Spread the Comte cheese tart filling over the pastry, leaving a 1-inch margin around the edges. Lay the asparagus spears over the top in a line.
2. Bake the asparagus tart for a further 15-20 minutes at a lower temperature of 150 degrees Celsius / 300 degrees Fahrenheit. You'll know the asparagus puff pastry tart is ready because the cheese filling will have risen slightly around the asparagus, and if you jiggle the tray, it will be firm and not still runny.
3. Serve asparagus tart with a crisp side salad, and enjoy.

Top tip: If you want to make the puff pastry crust extra crunchy, brush an egg wash (1 beaten egg) over them after assembling the tart and baking the second time.

Wine pairing for asparagus cheese tart

Try serving a chilled Gewurztraminer from Alsace if you are wine-pairing asparagus tart.

Serving suggestions

Here are a few ways you can adapt this recipe to suit you.

1. Other cheeses - You could use Gruyere instead of Comte cheese in this easy asparagus tart or goat cheese. Add a tablespoon of parmesan to the filling mixture for an extra nutty flavor.
2. Pastry - use gluten-free pastry to make this gluten-free. If you are gluten-free, check out The Gluten Free Blogger, who has some amazing recipes on her site.

Equipment

To bake this asparagus cheese tart, you will need a baking tray or cookie sheet large enough to fit the pastry on it. I also line it with baking parchment paper or an as it makes moving the tart off the tray easier after cooking!

You will also need a large mixing bowl, a cheese grater, and a good kitchen knife to prepare the tart filling.

Storage

Store leftover asparagus cheese tart in the fridge and consume leftovers within two days. I don't recommend freezing asparagus tart as the likelihood is that your puff pastry will go soggy and the asparagus will go mushy upon defrosting.

FAQ

Other Spring recipes to try