Asparagus Tart

At a glance

What stands out: Reliable for spring, this asparagus tart is a show-stopping addition to any brunch or appetizer table. Store-bought puff pastry makes the recipe straightforward to prep, with only 5 ingredients!

How long it takes: 40 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: sheet pan (13 x 18 inches)
Servings: 8

Straightforward, But Feels Special

Anyone else obsessing over asparagus right now? We've been picking up a bunch nearly every time we hit the grocery store and we're so thankful that it is vibrant green, crisp, and fresh.

It’s straightforward to cook whether it’s grilled, sautéed, roasted, pickled, or ribboned. Lately, we’ve been loving straightforward air fryer asparagus. When you add it to puff pastry, it feels special and gourmet.

What makes it special:

• Rich! The combination of slightly nutty Gruyère cheese, asparagus, and balsamic glaze is a winning trio.
• Visually stunning. This tart not only tastes rich but it also looks gorgeous. Anyone you serve it to will be so impressed! It’s reliable for brunches and fancy lunches, or you can cut it into smaller squares for an appetizer.
• Straightforward to mix. The baked tart is made with store-bought puff pastry, and the layers are simple.

What goes in

• Puff pastry: We think pre-made puff pastry is a standby thing ever! It’s straightforward to use and the thin rich layers of pastry are light and flaky. Look for it in the freezer section of the grocery store and thaw it in the refrigerator for a few hours before you want to use it. Dufour Puff Pastry Dough and Trader Joe’s All Butter Puff Pastry Sheets are made with all butter and receive high ratings. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets are found in most grocery stores, and it’s what we used when we recently retested this recipe.
• Asparagus: Thin asparagus spears definitely work better than thick for this tart. If you can only find thick spears, consider chopping them into bite-sized pieces instead of leaving them whole. They’ll get tender more quickly and the tart will be easier to slice.
• Dijon mustard: We like to spread a layer of Dijon mustard on the pastry for extra flavor. If you’re not a fan of Dijon, it could be omitted, or you could use another type of mustard you prefer.
• Gruyère cheese: A variation of Swiss cheese, Gruyère has the same nutty rich flavor but doesn’t have the holes commonly found in American-style Swiss cheese. The asparagus tart can be made with different kinds of cheese but we do think Gruyère complements the flavors well.
• Balsamic drizzle: This sweet but tangy syrup is like the icing on the cake. It’s not absolutely necessary but we highly recommend it!

How it comes together

Roll out the pastry. Unroll the pastry onto a floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough as large as you can without tearing it. It doesn’t have to be evenly sized or evenly square. The rolled out pastry should comfortably fit into a sheet pan (13 x 18 inches). You’ll find that puff pastry is straightforward to roll!

Prep the crust. Once you’ve finished that step, use a sharp knife to score the dough about a half inch from the edges. Try not to cut all the way through the dough, just through the top layer. The scored edge will “magically” turn into a nice border crust when the pastry is baked. Poke the dough all over with a fork (not the edges). This is called “docking” and will keep the pastry from puffing up too much.

Pre-bake the crust. After testing this recipe extensively, we decided that a standby way to ensure a crisp flaky crust was to bake it for 10 minutes before adding the filling. It will be puffed up in areas but don’t worry, once you put on the toppings, it will flatten out.

Add cheese and asparagus. Remove the pastry from the oven, smear the pastry with Dijon mustard with either a brush or your fingers (our preferred method), and sprinkle a cup of the cheese over the crust as evenly as you can. Next, arrange the asparagus spears all nicely lined up, then sprinkle on the remaining cheese.

Bake again. Pop the pan back into the oven, and bake the tart for 12 minutes more. The asparagus should be tender, the cheese melted, and the pastry golden brown.

Serve. Top the asparagus tart with a decorative drizzle of balsamic glaze. If you’re a bit more ambitious, try it with from-scratch balsamic reduction which is so straightforward to mix! Use a large sharp knife to cut the tart into squares. Asparagus tart can be served warm or at room temperature.

Ways to serve it

Brunch: This asparagus Gruyère tart with balsamic glaze is a nice addition to a brunch. It fits in well with egg dishes like crustless quiche or a spinach quiche with cornmeal crust.

Appetizer: Asparagus tart has a sophisticated feel to it even though it’s simple. It goes great with a glass of white or red wine. A rosé spritzer or white wine spritzer is lovely, too. Serve it with other appetizers like spinach dip, bacon-wrapped dates, or wild mushroom crostini with goat cheese.

Lunch: We also enjoy this asparagus tart as an accompaniment to soup. It’s a more sophisticated alternative to crackers or bread, and goes well with soups like smoky roasted tomato soup or carrot ginger soup.

Make Ahead/Storage

Get a head start: Make sure the puff pastry is thawed and ready to use (follow package instructions). The asparagus can be prepped ahead: snap off tough ends, rinse it, and pat dry before storing in a covered container. Shred the cheese ahead of time and refrigerate.

Storage: The asparagus tart is best eaten shortly after it’s made. However, if you have happen to have extra, refrigerate it for up to 3 days in a covered container.

Reheat: Preheat your oven (or toaster oven) to 350°F, and heat the leftover tart for 10 minutes or so, until it’s warm and the pastry is crisp again. An air fryer would work, too. Microwaving asparagus tart isn’t ideal because the pastry gets a little soft.

• Yield: 8
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 22 minutes
• Total: 37 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (use package instructions to thaw)
• ½ bunch asparagus (about 20 thin stalks)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ cups shredded Gruyère cheese (or more, if you like)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic drizzle (also called balsamic glaze or balsamic reduction)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a large sheet pan (18 x 13 inches) by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. On a floured surface, roll out thawed puff pastry to approximately 11 × 14 inches using a floured rolling pin. Transfer to prepared sheet pan.
3. With a sharp knife, score (cut, but not all the way through) about a half inch in from the edges of the rectangle, creating a crust, all the way around the rectangle. Prick the inside of the rectangle all over with a fork (see photos if you're not sure how to do this).
4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prep the asparagus. Rinse the asparagus well, drain off excess water. Snap off the tough ends. You can leave the asparagus whole (as pictured) or chop it into bite-sized pieces, which makes it a little easier to serve and eat, especially if the stalks are thicker.
6. Remove the pastry from the oven. Carefully brush the inside rectangle of the pastry with Dijon mustard. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheese, arrange asparagus evenly on top of cheese, and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese.
7. Bake for 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and tart is golden brown.
8. Serve with a drizzle of balsamic reduction, or if you prefer, drizzle the baked tart with extra virgin olive oil and top it with a few grinds of black pepper.

Notes

Asparagus: Pencil-thin spears work best for this tart because they cook quickly, are more attractive, and can be sliced more easily. However, if thin spears aren’t available, thicker spears are okay, too. We find that they work best if you slice the stalks into 1-inch pieces. The smaller pieces will get tender more quickly and the tart will be easier to slice.

Mustard: If you’re not a fan of Dijon, try stone-ground mustard or whole grain mustard. Honey mustard or a Bavarian-style mustard would add a sweeter note.

Cheese: If you prefer, a different kind of cheese can be substituted. Try Swiss cheese, baby Swiss, shredded Parmesan or another cheese you like. (White cheese is more attractive for this tart.) You can use more than 1 ½ cups of cheese, or a combination of cheese, if you like. We sometimes use sharp provolone on the bottom, and sprinkle shredded Parmesan over the asparagus. Another option is a spreadable cheese, like Boursin.