It’s been a bit chilly this week and I’m not gonna lie — I love it! Chilly in LA is low 60’s/high 50’s, while in Minnesota, where I grew up, chilly is subzero temps. I will take California chilly every day, people! And I’m not a wimp; I still rock my flip-flops! We also got some much needed rain, although the storm that blew in Monday morning was a doozy. I stayed snug as a bug in bed while the rain pounded us, but Max was tearing around the apartment. He loves a good rainstorm. Yes, he is a strange cat.
Do you know what else I find strange? Easter. How it moves from year-to-year always confuses me. This year we celebrate at the end of March, while it gets pushed to April next year. It’s just confusing. What isn’t confusing is my deep affection for holiday food. Easter conjures up thoughts of Spring, so lighter and fresher foods are on my mind, and I’ve got three, delicious recipes lined up to celebrate Easter and Spring.
Up first, is this absolutely, amazing asparagus tart with bacon. I love asparagus and look forward to it every Spring. You can find it pretty reasonably priced at the stores too, which is a nice added bonus. I try to shop seasonal to help me stay on budget. Plus, eating in-season fruits and vegetables is certainly no hardship since they are in their prime and taste great.
This asparagus tart is really simple to make and the flavors blend so well together. You get just the softest edge of heat from the red pepper flakes and a bit of tartness from the lemon, which blends so well with the roasted asparagus. It is also incredibly versatile, and I’ll share some ideas on modifying the recipe in the Notes Section of the recipe. However, you opt to make it, the tart will receive rave reviews with its buttery crust, gooey cheese and crumbled bacon bits.
Roasted Asparagus Tart with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus, with woody ends removed
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions
- 1 cup shredded cheese (gruyere, swiss, Italian cheese blend)
- 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
- Red pepper flakes, a pinch or two
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- zest of 1 lemon
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- Mint leaves, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400*F.
- Combine asparagus, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper together in a large dish. Set aside.
- Place unrolled puff pastry sheet on a large piece of parchment paper, lightly dusted with flour, and roll out to approximately 10 x 15 inches.
- Use a sharp knife to score a border around the pastry sheet, but don't cut through the pastry. Use a fork to poke holes in the middle of the pastry, again be careful to not poke all the way through the pastry. This keeps the middle flat while the edges puff up as it bakes.
- Place parchment paper on cookie sheet. Spread a layer of shredded cheese over pastry. Next layer asparagus spears and top with crumbled bacon. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until crust is golden. Top with mint leaves (optional) and serve immediately.
Notes
This is an incredibly versatile recipe. A few ideas: - add a layer of caramelized onions - add some grape tomatoes - drizzle with a balsamic glaze before serving - use goat cheese or feta cheese in addition to a more mild cheese.
Enjoy!
Tanya
Oh my gosh, I am so with you on Easter! I was just discussing that with my mother-in-law about how Easter changes from March to April and back again all the time, when it seems like when we were kids, Easter was always in April. Hmmm….
This asparagus tart looks yummy! I am sure stores must carry a gluten-free puff pastry, so I can eat all the asparagus and bacon 😉
Thank goodness I’m not the only one confused by Easter moving date. It does seem like it was always in April growing up. Living in Minnesota, it was always a bit of gamble whether we could hunt for Easter eggs outside. 🙂
The tart is soooo good. I was seriously making loud yummy noises while devouring it. Max was embarrassed by my poor manners! They have gluten-free everything these days, so I’m sure there must be gluten-free puff pastry somewhere.
This tart looks so good! We’ve been eating it a lot in our house since, like you said, it’s reasonably priced right now. I think this tart will be making its way onto our table soon!
It is soooooooo delicious, Nancy. Seriously, the yum yum noises I was making were embarrassing but I couldn’t help myself! The lemon zest and red pepper flakes gave such great depth to the asparagus that they are now a requirement whenever I roast some asparagus.