Spring Produce
At least here in the UK, we got a nice taste of spring over this past Easter weekend. It was beautifully sunny but still cool enough for a light jacket, or what I call the most perfect temperature that exists. That bliss was short lived, of course, and quickly changed today with cold wind and plenty of rain. But in my mind, there is no doubt that we are heading towards spring! One of our favorite parts of spring is the produce that is in season, whether you find it at a local farmer’s market or grocery store. Just to name a few: strawberries, asparagus, radishes, rhubarb, and lots and lots of greens! Green is certainly the color of spring too, so we love to cook with green vegetables when we can. It makes a dish feel fresh and vibrant, plus it makes it taste absolutely delicious!
All About Asparagus!
That brings us to today’s dish, which is all about asparagus. Asparagus is a delicious vegetable, especially when it is cooked to just the right consistency and combined with the right flavors. Lemon, for example, pairs perfectly with asparagus, because it really brightens it up. We also love to combine asparagus with a creamy and milder cheese, like ricotta, because it provides a different texture that works really well with the “al dente” asparagus. So, it will come as no surprise that today’s recipe combines these flavors in a lovely asparagus tart! Asparagus truly is the star of the show, and the other flavors complement it perfectly. Plus, it looks like a row of cute little trees, so if you are looking for a dish that screams spring, look no further!
How To Make Asparagus Tart
The most challenging part of this recipe is the rough puff pastry. Of course, you can just use store-bought, as that is much easier than making it from scratch. But if you want a challenge, we have a great recipe for you to follow down below! This recipe was inspired by the process from Sally’s Baking Addiction blog – her recipe is here! Once your dough is ready, roll it out into a large rectangle. Spread a mixture of ricotta, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper over it. Then line up your asparagus, and fold up the edges of the tart. Make sure to crimp the edges together with a fork so that it doesn’t unfold in the oven. Egg wash the dough, grate some parmesan over the top if you want to, and bake. Enjoy!
Aspargestærte (Asparagus Tart with Ricotta)
Ingredients
TOPPING
- 1 bunch asparagus (20-24 stalks, washed and trimmed)
- 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 180 grams (3/4 cup) ricotta
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon zest from half of a small lemon
- Grated parmesan *for the top of the tart, this is optional!
- 1 egg *for egg wash
ROUGH PUFF PASTRY
- 113 grams (1 stick, 8 tbsp) unsalted butter *the butter needs to be cold
- 120 grams (1 cup) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3-5 tbsp ice water
Instructions
- Make the rough puff pastry at least 2.5 to 3 hours ahead of time; start by combining flour and salt in a bowl. You can make this recipe much easier by using a sheet of storebought pastry, making sure to follow the instructions on the package for thawing!
- Cube the butter and add it to the bowl with the flour and salt.
- Gently press the butter together between your fingers to create flat pieces; you want to keep the butter pieces relatively large at this point! We do recommend doing this by hand to avoid the butter getting mixed too finely into the flour.
- Add ice water, starting with three tablespoons, and start pressing the mixture together until if forms a very shaggy dough that just barely holds together. Add more water if needed a tablespoon at a time, but do not add too much; it's okay if it doesn't hold together perfectly at this stage!
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and press into a rough rectangle.
- Roll out until it is 12" long (width doesn't matter as much, but around 6 inches wide is fine).
- Create a letter fold by folding down the top third of the dough over the middle third;
- Then fold the bottom of the dough over the top and middle.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- After the dough has rested in the fridge, roll the dough out on a floured surface to about a 6" x 12" rectangle. You should turn the dough 90 degrees from how you rolled it out the first time (basically, roll out the long edge to be the longest edge of the rectangle!)
- Make another letter fold by repeating the same process, folding the top over the middle, then the bottom over the top.
- Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat the rolling to 6" by 12" rectangle, then repeat the letter fold.
- Do this folding process two more times; you should have completed 5 total letter folds at this stage.
- If the dough is ever getting tough to work with, you can wrap it up and let it rest for 30 minutes in the fridge before continuing.
- After the last fold, wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; you can also keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- While the dough is resting prepare the filling by combining ricotta, parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon zest in a bowl.
- Preheat your oven to 400F (204C).
- Once the dough has rested, roll it out on a floured surface to a rectangle measuring about 10" by 15".
- Transfer the rectangle to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Spread ricotta mixture across the dough, leaving a 1" border around all the edges.
- Add asparagus in one layer across the ricotta; make sure the 1" border remains; you may have to trim the asparagus a little if they are too long.
- Fold up 1/2" around the edges to create a crust. Crimp with a fork to ensure that it doesn't unfold.
- Egg wash the edges of the pastry.
- Add grated parmesan across the top of the tart (optional). You can also add more salt and pepper across the top of the asparagus!
- Bake the tart for around 30 minutes. Remove and let cool for at least 15 minutes; then enjoy! You can also top with tart with prosciutto for an added savory element.
