Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart (Printable Version)

Flaky puff pastry crowned with goat cheese, lemon zest and roasted asparagus; bright, elegant spring dish for brunch or lunch.

# What You Need:

→ Crust

01 - 1 sheet puff pastry (about 9 oz), thawed
02 - 1 large egg, beaten for egg wash

→ Filling

03 - 7 oz fresh goat cheese, softened to room temperature
04 - ⅓ cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
05 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
06 - Zest of 1 lemon
07 - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Topping

08 - 10.5 oz thin green asparagus, woody ends trimmed
09 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
10 - Fresh thyme leaves, for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - Unfold the thawed puff pastry onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, lightly score a ¾-inch border around all edges without cutting through the dough. Prick the center area repeatedly with a fork to prevent puffing, then brush the scored border evenly with the beaten egg wash.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine the softened goat cheese, crème fraîche, minced garlic, and lemon zest. Season generously with salt and pepper, then stir until the mixture is completely smooth and homogeneous.
04 - Spread the goat cheese filling evenly across the center of the pastry, staying within the scored border. Toss the trimmed asparagus spears with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper, then arrange them in a neat, tight row over the filling.
05 - Bake on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the pastry border is deeply golden and puffed and the asparagus is tender with lightly charred tips.
06 - Remove the tart from the oven and scatter fresh thyme leaves over the top. Allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into portions. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between shattering crisp pastry and tangy, velvety goat cheese filling is the kind of thing that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite.
  • It looks effortlessly elegant but the entire thing comes together in under an hour with ingredients you probably already have.
02 -
  • If the puff pastry gets too warm while you are working with it, pop the whole assembled tart onto the baking sheet and into the fridge for ten minutes before baking, because soft butter in the layers will not create steam and you will lose all that beautiful flakiness.
  • Breaking the asparagus by hand instead of cutting it is the easiest way to find the natural snapping point where the tough woody ends begin.
03 -
  • Docking the center with a fork is not optional, because without those tiny holes the center will puff up and push your carefully arranged filling right off the edges.
  • If your goat cheese is particularly tangy, add a half teaspoon of honey to the filling mixture for balance, a trick I learned from a French baker who swore it was the only secret that mattered.

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