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Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart! From Cook's Illustrated new cookbook, Vegetables Illustrated! Flakey and buttery and so good!
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4.78 from 31 votes

Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart

To thaw frozen puff pastry, allow it to sit either in the refrigerator for 24 hours or on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Look for asparagus spears no thicker than 1/2 inch. Cutting the asparagus into thin pieces allows it to become tender without precooking. TOTAL TIME does not include time to thaw frozen puff pastry.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces thin asparagus trimmed and cut 1/4 inch thick on bias into 1-inch lengths (1 cup)
  • 2 scallions sliced thin
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons pitted kalamata olives chopped
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 ounces goat cheese softened
  • 1 9 1/2 by 9-inch sheet puff pastry thawed

Instructions

  • Adjust oven rack to upper-middle positions and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Combine asparagus, scallions, 1 tablespoon oil, olives, garlic, zest, salt, and pepper in bowl. In separate bowl, mix 3/4 cup goat cheese and 1 tablespoon oil until smooth. Set aside.
  • Unfold thawed puff pastry onto lightly floured counter and roll into 10-inch square; transfer to the parchment lined baking sheet. *Lightly brush outer 1/2 inch of pastry square with water to create border, then fold border toward the center, pressing gently to seal. *Alternatively, you can score the puff pastry dough to create a border: Using sharp paring knife, score puff pastry around perimeter of pastry square, 1/8 inch deep. (Do not cut through pastry.) For presentation purposes, I found that scoring the dough worked better. 
  • Spread goat cheese mixture evenly over the center of the puff pastry (avoiding border), then scatter asparagus mixture over top. Crumble remaining 1/4 cup goat cheese over top of asparagus mixture.
  • Bake until pastry is puffed and golden and asparagus is crisp-tender, for about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Cut into 4 equal pieces and serve.
  • Alternatively, you can pre-bake the tart shell: Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and top positions and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place puff pastry in center of sheet. Grease underside of 8-inch square baking pan, place in center of puff pastry, and fill pan with pie weights. Using sharp paring knife, score puff pastry around perimeter of pan, 1/8 inch deep. (Do not cut through pastry.) Leaving pan on pastry, bake on lower-middle oven rack for 20 minutes. Remove pan, rotate sheet, and continue to bake until pastry is golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes. Then, add in the asparagus mixture and bake again for only 10 to 15 minutes.