Springy Asparagus And Lemon Ricotta Tart Recipe

Savory tarts are not only delicious and eye-catching but make perfect warm weather fare. This springy asparagus and lemon ricotta tart — courtesy of recipe developer Julie Kinnaird — highlights the best of early harvest produce with tender asparagus stalks, peppery radishes, and fragrant tarragon. The tart comes together quickly with the use of frozen puff pastry, which bakes up light and flaky to contrast the creamy lemon and black pepper–flavored ricotta filling. A layer of aged Spanish Manchego cheese adds a tart and nutty flavor that ties all of the components together.

Working with puff pastry might seem intimidating at first, but it's a breeze once you know a few key pointers. This recipe also serves as a perfect template for changing up ingredients and flavors. This tart is a perfect brunch centerpiece and tastes divine straight out of the oven or at room temperature. It can be sliced and transported for picnics or prepared in the morning when the weather is cool and served later for dinner!

The crust for this savory tart is made from a sheet of frozen puff pastry. The puff pastry can be thawed overnight in a refrigerator or simply left at room temperature for about 40 minutes in its package. You will create an egg wash from 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water. This is brushed on the outer edge of the tart to create a golden brown finish to the crust. The filling is made from whole milk ricotta, finely chopped lemon zest, fresh chives, black pepper, and sea salt. Aged Spanish Manchego cheese is layered over the ricotta filling, and then topped aromatic fresh tarragon. Tender asparagus spears and vibrant red radish slices are tossed with a little olive oil and then arranged atop the tart. If you have an abundance of asparagus, try this great tip for keeping it fresh!

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Unfold the puff pastry and place it on a sheet of parchment paper.

Roll out the pastry to a 13x9-inch rectangle.

Use a sharp knife to score a ½-inch border around all sides of the pastry. This helps to create a crust that can rise.

Prick the inside of the pastry all over with a fork.

Carefully lift the parchment paper and pastry onto a baking sheet.

Use a pastry brush to add a little of the egg wash to the outer crust.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and lightly browned on the outer crust.

Cool the pastry completely (about 20 minutes).

While the pastry cools, make the filling by mixing together the ricotta, lemon zest, chives, pepper, and ½ teaspoon sea salt.

In a large, shallow bowl, toss the asparagus and radishes with the olive oil and remaining ½ teaspoon sea salt.

Use a vegetable peeler or knife to thinly shave the Manchego into slices.

Carefully spread the ricotta mixture over the baked and cooled pastry.

Add the Manchego in an even layer over the ricotta.

Sprinkle on the tarragon.

Arrange the asparagus in rows over the tarragon.

Finish with the radish slices.

Bake the tart for 15–20 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the asparagus and radishes are tender.

Cool the tart for about 20 minutes, then cut into slices and serve.

Whether from-scratch or pre-packaged, puff pastry is an exquisite dough that makes any preparation seem fancy. It can be used for both sweet and savory dishes and has a light and airy texture with a rich, buttery flavor. The pastry consists of a basic, flour-and-water dough that is repeatedly rolled and folded over a layer of butter. Hundreds of layers are created by the steam that's released while baking without the pastry leavening. The dough is chilled between turns, so although the process is relatively simple, it is laborious and time-consuming. 

Kinnaird enjoys making this dough from scratch but finds that having a package of frozen puff pastry on hand makes it easy to produce bakes with short notice. Thawing frozen puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight makes the dough workable, but Kinnaird has had great results with a 30–40 minute countertop thaw. Just make sure that the dough is thawed enough to unfold without it cracking or breaking but that it's still chilled enough to avoid the butter melting within the layers. Using a chilled rolling pin and even a chilled work surface (such as a marble slab) will create even better results. Kinnaird suggests using a sharp rolling pizza cutter or thin knife for scoring and cutting the dough. When blind baking puff pastry, prick the dough with a fork to allow extra steam to escape and prevent large bubbles from forming. 

Although this springy asparagus and lemon ricotta tart has a perfect pairing of flavors, there are many ways to vary the ingredients. For the filling, consider a combo of ½ cup ricotta and ½ cup fresh goat cheese blended with the lemon zest and pepper. Add some fresh thyme or garlic powder to give the filling an extra boost of flavor. Instead of aged Manchego, use a grated aged white cheddar, gouda, or asiago cheese. 

In place of radishes, sauteed mushrooms would add some extra earthy flavor to the verdant asparagus topping. Saute the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt until the juices are released and evaporate in the pan. Make sure the mushrooms are as dry as possible before adding them as a topping so that the delicate tart doesn't become soggy while baking. Fresh basil or chervil would be a delicious substitute for the tarragon, as would a bit of chopped Italian parsley or chive blossoms. If you want to make the tart extra hearty, crumble some cooked smoked bacon or finely chopped ham with the shaved cheese layer.