Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart

4.50 from 2 votes

Buttery puff pastry, tender asparagus, and melty cheese come together in this elegant yet surprisingly easy Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart. It’s the kind of recipe that looks impressive enough for brunch, lunch with friends, or a spring gathering, yet comes together with minimal effort thanks to store-bought puff pastry.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Quiches and Tarts

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Author: Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen

Equipment

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch spring onions usually 3 onions, white and light green part only, halved and thinly sliced (2-3 cups loosely packed)
water as needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
16-20 thin asparagus spears as needed to fill the top of the tart
all-purpose flour for rolling out pastry
1 sheet puff pastry from a 2-sheet package
2 cups shredded Fontina cheese about 4 ounces
Zest of 1 large lemon
Good balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat butter and oil in a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat.
Add onions, reduce heat to low and cook 12-15 minutes or until very soft but not browned. Add water as necessary to prevent browning. (Be sure all water has evaporated before placing on the tart.) Season onions with salt and black pepper.
While the onions are cooking, bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath.
Cook the asparagus very briefly (10 seconds or until bright green). Immediately immerse in ice water. Drain and blot dry with paper towels.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to smooth and correct the folds.
Score the pastry all the way around about 1-inch from the edge being careful to not cut all the way through. Dock the interior in several places with a fork. (Do not dock outside of the scored area.) Place on a piece of parchment paper. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes.
Spread shredded cheese over the interior of the crust. Top with onions then asparagus, pressing asparagus down gently into the cheese and onions.
Return to oven, bake 12-14 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese has melted.
To serve, sprinkle with lemon zest and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Cut into quarters.

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS:

Can also use leeks in place of the spring onions. Be sure to rinse them well, as they can be muddy.

TIPS:

Spring onions are larger and more bulbous than scallions, with the green tops still attached. Look for them near the scallions in the produce section.
Cook the onions until very soft but not browned or caramelized—they’re naturally sweet already.
Add small splashes of water as the onions cook to prevent browning, but let all the liquid evaporate before adding them to the tart.
Puff pastry bakes up light and flaky thanks to its many buttery layers. Store-bought frozen puff pastry works beautifully and saves considerable time.
To shape the crust, gently roll the thawed pastry to smooth the folds, then score a 1-inch border around the edges without cutting all the way through.
After scoring, dock the inside of the pastry by poking it several times with a fork. This helps the center stay flatter while the border puffs up around the filling.
Finish the tart with fresh lemon zest and a drizzle of good-quality balsamic vinegar. Serve hot or warm.

Nutrition