It’s Monday folks, and I have a wonderful meatless recipe for you today, asparagus Gruyere tart. This cheese and vegetable tart is super easy to create and it takes no time at all to cook. Once ready, all you will have to do is add a side salad and some wine or iced beverage, and you will have yourself a superb lunch.
The ingredients are mostly placed on top of one another:
- Puff pastry
- Gruyère
- egg yolk
- pencil asparagus
- lemon zest
- melted butter
10-15 minutes baking time and this beauty will be on your dinning table. You will be so pleased with yourself, this easy peasy dish is a no brainer.
I experimented with a couple of easy melting cheeses to see which I preferred, and Gruyère won. I must point out that Gruyère can taste very different dependent upon age of the piece of cheese you purchase. Younger Gruyère has a nutty taste, but the more mature the Guyère is the more complex, earthy and full flavored the taste becomes. Keep this in mind when buying your cheese, if you are looking for a desired taste.
Using frozen puff pastry is what makes asparagus gruyere tart so simple. Using frozen pastry really cuts down on prep time. I prefer to use Pepperidge Farm, because it bakes so well, you’re able to see the flaked layers once cooked and each bite melts in the mouth.
You can use regular asparagus instead of pencil asparagus, but you will have to cook the regular asparagus a little longer. Regardless of whatever variety you use, make sure not to overcook it, otherwise you will end up with some pretty tough asparagus which is not much fun to eat.
You’ve got to try this recipe, you will definitely want to add it to your repertoire. It’s too easy not to give it a try. Once you’ve mastered the recipe, which should be the first, or at most the second time around, perhaps you’d like to experiment with different easy melting cheeses to make asparagus gruyere tart more your own.
Asparagus Gruyère Tart
Ingredients
- Handfull of flour
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry defrosted
- 1 1/2 cups Gruyère shredded
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 8 oz pencil asparagus trimmed
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- Melted butter
Equipment & Utensils
- Rolling pin
- Baking tray 10" wide
- Skillet
Instructions
- Dust a clean flat surface with some flour to prepare for rolling out the pastry.
- Dust rolling pin and pastry sheet with flour
- Begin rolling pastry out, turning 90 degrees every 2-3 strokes until the pastry is 10" x 10"
- Score but do not cut the pastry 1" from the edge on all sides.
- Transfer rolled out pastry to baking tray.
- Place cheese in a bowl, whisk egg yolk and add to cheese.
- Whisk cheese and egg to combine.
- Spread a thin layer of the cheese mixture onto pastry within the scored lines.
- Heat olive oil on high-medium heat in skillet.
- Add asparagus and sauté until partly cooked for approx. 3 mins.
- Arrange asparagus on top of cheese mixture, then sprinkle with lemon zest.
- Brush outer edges with melted butter and place in preheated oven at 400.
- Bake until pastry is golden and risen (approx. 10-15 mins)
- Serve with salad.
