Creamy ricotta, tender asparagus and sweet shallots on top of a shatter-in-your-mouth puff pastry. This ricotta asparagus tart is simple to whip up and feels so impressive.
I’ve been really into puff pastry as an easy dinner lately. You sautée some vegetables, layer them with cheese, stick it onto puff pastry and into the oven and voila, an easy dinner that feels so special.
This puff pastry formula is perfect for celebrating in-season vegetables. In the spring, that means asparagus and I’m always looking to eat it aside from just, well, roasting it. This is now one of my favorite asparagus dishes.
This tart has all the best flavors. Tang from the ricotta, nutty and buttery from the asparagus, sweetness from the shallots and a little honey, and perfect balance from a squeeze of lemon and white wine vinegar.
This is my favorite ricotta and asparagus tart.
Ricotta and Asparagus Tart
What is ricotta and asparagus tart?
This tart is pretty much what it sounds like! We’re using puff pastry as the tart base, and then layering on a ricotta, lemon, honey mixture, and sautéed asparagus and shallots.
We’re celebrating in-season asparagus and shallots. It’s best to make this in the spring and early summer, as asparagus is in peak season March through June and shallots April through August.
What I love about this tart is A. it’s relaxed to put together and can be a whole meal, but feels luxurious. And B. it is a texture and flavor dream. The creaminess of ricotta with the the tender asparagus and shatter-in-your-mouth puff pastry is delightful to eat. And buttery, cheesy, oniony with a little bit of lemon is a dream flavor profile.
What should I make this tart for?
This tart is great as a dinner for two people, or as an appetizer for 4-6 people. It’s ideal when you want one complete dish and few dishes to wash. If you’re having a dinner party, you can cut the pastry into small bites and easily double it for a crowd.
Ingredients for ricotta and asparagus tart
- Puff pastry
- Ricotta
- Asparagus
- Shallots (onions will work if you don’t have shallots, but don’t have the same sweetness)
- Dijon mustard
- White wine vinegar
- Honey
- Salt and pepper
How to make ricotta and asparagus tart
To make this tart, you’re going to bake the puff pastry halfway (called a parbake). While this bakes, you’ll prep two parts for the filling: the ricotta mixture and the sautéed shallots and asparagus.
You’ll spread the ricotta mixture over the parbaked pastry, leaving a one-inch border and then spread the sautéed shallots and asparagus on top. The pastry will finish up in the oven, and then you’re ready to eat!
How to store ricotta and asparagus tart
This tart will last for five days wrapped up in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to three months.
Looking for a dessert to pair?
These are some desserts that pair perfectly with this shallot and asparagus tart:
- Keeping it classic: salted brown butter chocolate chip cookies
- Fancy vibes: silky chocolate orange tart (feel free to leave out the orange if it’s not in season)
- Ready in under an hour: salty fudgy brownies
If you make this tart, be sure to tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @loaves.and.such and please leave a review below!
Ricotta and Asparagus Tart
2
servings25
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Ingredients
- For the Crust
1 8.6 ounce puff pastry
1 egg
- For the Ricotta Layer
1 cup (8 ounces) ricotta
1/4 lemon, squeezed (about 1 TBS. lemon juice)
3 tsp. honey
Heaping 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- For the Asparagus Layer
2 shallots, finely chopped
10 ounces (about 16 medium sized spears) asparagus
Olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 TBS. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. dijon mustard
Parmesan to top (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- First, make the ricotta mixture. Stir together the ricotta, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Taste and add more lemon or salt if it needs more salt or acid – it should taste savory with just a little sweetness from the honey, and be something you want to eat straight out of the bowl. Set aside.
- Prep the puff pastry. Lay it on a rimmed sheet pan. Using a small paring knife, make a half-inch border around the entire pastry sheet, cutting down through the pastry only halfway. This will help the border puff up while still staying intact with the rest of the pastry.
Using a fork, prick the pastry every few inches, including on the border. This will help the pastry release steam in the oven and bake evenly.
Whisk the egg in a small bowl, and brush on top of the whole sheet. You’ll have most of the egg left over – save for a little scramble later. - Once the oven is preheated, bake the puff pastry for 13-17 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside. Parbaking will help keep the pastry crispy even when we add the filling.
- While the puff pastry is baking, make the asparagus layer. Make sure your shallots are chopped, and then slice your asparagus.
For the asparagus, you’ll cut off the bottom inch or two as it’s tough and fibrous. Then slice into half-centimeter (approximately quarter inch) rounds. Slice a little thicker as you get to the thin top of the asparagus so that the slices are even. Keep the head of the asparagus intact. Set aside. - Heat a pan over medium. When it’s warm, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and sautée the shallots until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add the asparagus, salt and pepper and sautée until the asparagus is slightly tender when poked with a fork, 5-7 minutes. Add more olive oil if the asparagus and shallots are dry or sticking to the pan.
Pour in the white wine vinegar, stir and let it cook off for a minute. Then stir in the mustard and immediately turn off the heat. - Now we’re ready to assemble the tart. It likely puffed up in the oven, but will come down when we add everything on top. Spread on the ricotta mixture, being careful to avoid the border. Sprinkle the asparagus and shallots on top.
- Bake until the ricotta has some slight brown spots, 7-10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan and drizzle with more olive oil if you’d like. If you’re eating the tart as a meal, cut into four sections. If you’re having the tart as an appetizer, cut it into four sections and then cut each section diagonally so you have eight triangles.
Eat while warm, and enjoy!
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