A trio of cheeses topped by tender asparagus nestled in a puff pastry crust. This cheese asparagus tart, like a vegetable pizza, is a perfect puff pastry appetizer, brunch recipe, or best side dish to soup or salad.
Trim tough end off asparagus spears (try to keep spears similar lengths). Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes. Then place immediately in ice water. (this will brighten the color and help the asparagus be crisp-tender when baked.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Thaw puff pastry according to manufacturer’s directions. Open pastry and roll out on a lightly floured board. Roll it so it’s approximately a 10 x 16 inch rectangle.
Move pastry dough to baking sheet and score a 1-inch border around the edges with a small sharp knife. Prick the pastry all over (inside the score line) with a fork. Brush an egg wash (beaten egg with a bit of milk or water) lightly over the outer crust. This will give it a golden shine when it bakes. Bake about 10 minutes and let cool.
Mix the cheese, parsley, egg, milk, ¼ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl to combine. Spread the cheese mixture over the puff pastry inside the border.
Toss asparagus with olive oil, ½ teaspoon garlic salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper to coat. Arrange the asparagus end to tip across the puff pastry. Trim any pieces that are too long. The tart looks best with same-length asparagus spears.
Bake 15 minutes or until edges of pastry are golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with lemon zest.
Notes
We like this best warm. But you can serve it warm or room temperature.How to Store Cheese and Asparagus TartWe don’t think you’ll have leftovers, but if you do: cut the tart in serving size wedges. Wrap in plastic wrap and seal well. Store in the refrigerator, or freeze up to two months. Once thawed, we recommend re-heating on a baking sheet in an 250 degree oven for 3-4 minutes. Microwaving will cause the puff pastry to get tough and rubbery. The asparagus tart is also delicious served cold.
How to Trim Asparagus
-Keep the lengths of the asparagus fairly similar for the asparagus tart to look best.
-Trim the tough ends off the asparagus. Bend the asparagus. It will -snap at the fibrous spot, then you can neatly trim the end.
-To keep more of the stalk, cut off the bottom, then trim the stems about ⅓ of the way up. (This saves more of the vegetable, but doesn’t look as good on the tart.)
How to Blanch Asparagus
Blanch the asparagus before adding it to the tart to brighten the green color. Place it in lightly salted, boiling water for about one minute. Remove quickly and place immediately in ice cold water to stop the cooking.
You can easily skip this step if you like, as the asparagus will roast sufficiently to make it tender while you bake the tart. We always blanch asparagus cause we love that green color!