This asparagus tart uses store-bought puff pastry to make it super easy.ย Simplyย roll out a sheet of thawed puff pastry, spread it with Boursin cheese, and arrange asparagus spears lined up like tall soldiers over the cheese.ย Finish the tart with grated Parmesan cheese.ย
It's elegant enough for a brunch side dish (think Mother's Day or Easter brunch) or a side dish for Easter dinner. It's also rustic enough for a casual lunch main dish topped with an egg or dinner with a big green salad.ย
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Tarts are ideal for your next brunch or party, as well as for a light meal.ย Sometimes, Iย make my own buttery pie crust, such as aย tomato tart. But often, as in this asparagus tart, I use store-bought puff pastry.ย
โค๏ธ Why you'll love this recipe
- Few Ingredients. Besides olive oil, salt, and pepper, there are only 4 ingredients.
- Easy. Very little prep work is involved, and few kitchen tools are needed.
- Crowd-pleaser. This recipe is popular with parties and family meals.ย
๐ง Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minute meal or less.ย
Go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post for all the ingredients, measurements, and directions for this asparagus puff pastry tart.
- Frozen ready-made puff pastry - I use both Pepperidge Farm and Dufour puff pastry with great success. But Dufour's is a buttery puff pastry, so it has the edge with me.
- Boursin cheese - I use garlic and fine herbs Boursin, but feel free to use your favorite one.
- Asparagus - They're usually sold in asparagus bundles; skinny and fat spears work fine in this recipe. The super-fat spears will take a little longer to cook.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
๐ช Recommended Equipment
- Sheet pan or baking sheet
- Rolling pin
- Chef's knife
- Silicone basting brush - for basting the asparagus with olive oil and the crust border with cream or an egg wash.
- Cheese grater
๐ Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this easy asparagus tart are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!
Step 1
Puff pastry. Thaw the frozen puff pastry according to the package directions. Carefully unfold and roll out on a lightly floured surface.ย
Using a sharp knife, gently score a 1-inch border all around the tart. Don't press too hard; you only want to cut through a couple of layers, not all the way through. This will form a raised border when the tart is baked.
Step 2
Spread cheese. Warm the Boursin cheese slightly to make it very spreadable. I microwave it for 15 seconds. Spread the puff pastry dough with the cheese, staying inside the scored border you created in Step 1.
Step 3
Trim asparagus. Slice off and discard the woody ends of the asparagus and line them up on the tart. Reverse every other spear, as shown in the above photos, so that when sliced, everyone gets some spear tips on their portion.ย
Baste with a bit of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Baste puff pastry. This is an optional step but recommended if you like the border of the baked tart to turn a deep golden brown. Either baste the border of the puff pastry with cream or whisk an egg in a small bowl and use that instead.
Step 5
Bake. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes and cool for a few minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
๐ฉโ๐ณ Why This Recipe Works
- Store-bought puff pastry is easy to work with and is perfect for this tart recipe.
- Asparagus marries well with just about any kind of cheese.
- Asparagus cooks quickly when compared to many other vegetables. Therefore, you have tender asparagus before the cheese melts too much and before the crust is too dark.
๐กIdeas for Possible Variations
- Substitute soft goat cheese, gruyere cheese, or fontina cheese for the Boursin in this simple tart. Cream cheese also works great as does ricotta cheese, if they are part of a cheese and herb mixture.
- Add fresh thyme leaves for serving (as shown in the top featured photo).
- Use a frozen pie crust or make your own pie crust, and bake in a tart pan.
- Sprinkle with a little lemon zest before the Parmesan cheese.
- Serve it topped with a poached or fried egg.
๐โโ๏ธ FAQ
Yes, you can make it a few hours ahead of time, and serve at room temperature. Another approach that works well is to assemble the tart up to and including arranging the asparagus spears. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to serve, bring it back to room temperature, baste with the olive oil, season and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake according to the directions.
Yes, but use a toaster oven or regular oven to reheat. The microwave oven is too moist an environment and will make the tart soggy.
๐ More Tarts You Might Like
If you like caramelized onions, make this 5-Ingredient Onion Tart with Mushrooms and use it the same way I recommend for this Asparagus Tart.
Tarts are wonderful using the bounty of summer fruit and veggies like these easy Mom's Glazed Blueberry Tarts or go savory with a Zucchini and Corn Tart with Mozzarella or Mexican Street Corn Tart.
And if you're looking for more recipes to cook in April and all spring long, check out the linked post.
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Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox.ย Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
4-Ingredient Asparagus Tart with Puff Pastry and Cheese
Equipment
- rolling pin
- box grater
Ingredients
- 1 puff pastry sheet thawed
- 8 tablespoons Garlic and Fine Herbs Boursin Cheese warmed
- 1 pound fresh asparagus spears trimmed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ยผ teaspoon kosher salt (โ teaspoon table salt)
- โ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon cream optional
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400หK, and line a baking sheet (sheet pan) with parchment paper.
- Thaw the puffed pastry according to the package directions and carefully unfold.On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to gently roll out the thawed puff pastry sheet to an 11" X 14" rectangle. You don't need to be exact.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, lightly score a 1-inch border around the edges of the puff pastry. Be careful not to cut too deep. This is just a light scoring that encourages the crust edge to puff up like a frame for the tart.
- Warm the boursin cheese enough to make it very easy to spread. I put mine in the microwave oven for 15 - 20 seconds. Spread the bousin evenly inside the scored border. You can use it all, if that's what you need in order to cover the tart. There's about 10 tablespoons or 5 ounces in the cheese package, but I only needed 8 tablespoons. Line up the asparagus spears in a single layer over the top of the boursin, and brush them with olive oil. It's best to alternate the asparagus spears as shown in the photos in the post. This way, everyone will get some asparagus tips on their portion.Sprinkle with salt, pepper and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Brush the edges of the pastry with either cream or an egg wash with a silicone pastry brush. This promotes a deep golden color of the baked tart crust.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tart is puffed and golden, and the asparagus spears are tender when you test them with a sharp knife.
- Cool for a few minutes on a cooling rack before slicing. Sprinkle with a little fresh thyme, and serve either warm or at room temperature.
Jane
How clever! I love Boursin cheese and can't wait to try it in this recipe!!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
So do I! It's my favorite cheese spread, and it makes this tart so incredibly easy to make!! Thanks so much for your comment!
Gisela
Hi Susan,
Thanks for this recipe.
We are leaving on an RV trip next week. I bought all the ingredients and will wow our gourmet friends that meet us at Avila. I also checked out the other tart recipes.
Have a happy Easter.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
You are so welcome! Itโs super easy, perfect for making on your trip. Weโll miss you while youโre gone!
Kathy Moorse
This was easy, looked beautiful and was delicious! I followed the recipe as written and loved how it turned out for Easter dinner. Thank you!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Yayyyy!!! I'm so happy it worked so well for you and that you loved it. Thanks for letting me know!
Myles
This tart was melt in your mouth tasty. Canโt wait for Susan to make it again. Yummy.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Coming right up!
Veronica
Just made this and it's so special for how little work it was! Bravo
The Wimpy Vegetarian
That makes me so happy!! I'm glad you loved it and found it easy to make! Thanks for letting me know ๐