Asparagus and Herbed Cheese Tart
This is adapted from a recipe by Melissa Clark that ran in The New York Times. It looks fussy, but it’s very easy to do. Work as quickly as you can with puff pastry. If it gets warm, simply pop it, still on the cutting board, into the fridge. For this recipe, I always snap off the asparagus ends where they break most evenly, ensuring all spears are tender.
Ingredients
- 4- ounce log goat cheese, room temperature
- 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Flour
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed if frozen ¾- to 1-pound thin asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed
- Olive oil for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the goat cheese, cream cheese, Parmesan, thyme, lemon zest, salt, and a grinding of pepper.
- Whisk in the egg until smooth.
- On a lightly floured board, roll the puff pastry to a 13- by 11-inch rectangle. (It doesn’t have to be perfect.) Brush off excess flour as best as you can. Gently transfer the dough to the lined cookie sheet. Using a knife and a straightedge, score a ½-inch border around the edges of the pastry.
- Spread the cheese mixture evenly inside the border. Line up the asparagus over the cheese, alternating ends and tips, and brush lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt.
- Bake until the edges of the pastry are puffed and the cheese mixture is set, 30 to 35 minutes (check at 25 minutes). If an edge is getting too brown, cover it loosely with foil.
- Let the tart cool on the sheet for at least 15 minutes to firm up. Slide onto a board and cut into pieces to serve.
