Apr 15, 2021

Asparagus Tart

Savoury and delicious, this asparagus tart recipe will make any meal a special occasion.

I like to think of this tart as asparagus pizza, and usually serve it up as such. The puff pastry makes a lovely crust and the flavours of the vegetables and cheese become a savoury delight.

This is actually another one of those recipes that is suitable to all sorts of veggie additions and substitutions. Don't have green peas? Use corn, frozen carrots, or finely chopped broccoli or cauliflower. As long as the vegetable doesn't contain too much water (like fresh zucchini), it will work well. Vegetables that do contain a lot of water would need to be sweated and drained of as much liquid as possible before being used in this recipe.

For those who require gluten-free and dairy-free recipes, there are gluten and dairy-free puff-pastry brands available. Use the brand that works best for you. For the dairy-free and vegan crowd, swap the gruyere cheese for a vegan version.

This makes a great addition to lunch or brunch. It is a fairly easy recipe that is ready in 45 minutes with only about 15 to 20 minutes of prep.

TIP: Mix a batch of your own homemade version of herbes de Provence.

Ingredients

(Makes 6 servings)

1 lbs asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 (450 g) package puff pastry, thawed (gluten-free/dairy-free)
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shaved (vegan gruyere cheese if required)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C and line a 11-inch round tart pan with parchment paper, or silicone liner, then set aside.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. Add the shallots then lower the heat to medium-low. Sauté the shallots until they are soft and browned (about 15 minutes), stirring regularly, then remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, place the asparagus and drizzle with the remaining extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with the herbes de Provence, salt, and ground black pepper. Toss, coating the asparagus thoroughly then set aside.

Lightly flour a flat surface and roll out one sheet of the puff pastry to form a rough circle about 14-inches in diameter. Transfer the pastry dough to the tart pan and fit it into the form, using the excess around the edges to form a thicker crust around the outer edge.

Spread the browned shallots over the pastry dough then shave the gruyere cheese on top. Arrange the asparagus across the bed of shallots and cheese. Spread the peas across, fitting them in between the asparagus stalks.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the pastry is puffy and golden brown.

Remove the tart from the oven and shave on more cheese (optional). Cut, serve and enjoy.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: