Asparagus Pesto Tart

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torta salata agli asparagi e pesto

Asparagus signifies spring to me, and I use it in all sorts of recipes, from lunch to dinner. This asparagus pesto tart is one of those dishes that uses only a few simple Italian ingredients and puts them all on display. It looks so impressive, it can be served at any special occasion, and your guests will think it took hours to make.

Asparagus ricotta tart is a perfect marriage of textures, between the crispy crust of the puff pastry, to the creamy and smooth ricotta cheese, to the tender and crunchy asparagus. The pesto adds a flavor pop to bring everything together.

Ingredients

Puff pastry
Asparagus
Ricotta
Pesto
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

In Italy, puff pastry, pasta sfoglia, is readily available and fairly inexpensive. It comes in a roll, ready-to-use, and either in a rectangle or round. In America, puff pastry often needs to be rolled out to the desired dimensions and thickness.

Here in Italy, we also have rolls of pate brisee (pie dough), pasta frolla (sweet pie crust dough), and pizza dough ready-to-use which are all great cheats! It’s common for Italians to make simple savory tarts, or torta salata, and it’s great to have store-bought doughs available to quickly whip one up for an easy weeknight dinner.

Italians love cooking with asparagus and there are many local varieties of different colors and sizes. The white asparagus which grows in the Veneto region is particularly prized. It’s common to use asparagus in a frittata, risotto, or soup – try asparagus broccoli soup!

History of Pesto

Pesto Genovese was born in Genoa, Italy, when the primary ingredient, fresh basil, took strong root in the Liguria region in the 1800s. However, all the way back to Roman times, a similar paste was being eaten made with crushed garlic, cheese, herbs and olive oil, called moretum.

The name pesto comes from the Italian pestare, meaning “to pound”, referencing the original way pesto was and is still made by crushing the ingredients in a mortar and pestle. The original pesto genovese has a strict recipe stating that first pine nuts and garlic are crushed to a cream in a mortar and pestle. Genovese basil leaves are then added ground with coarse salt. Then a mix of Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino cheese are added along with a little Ligurian extra virgin olive oil and mixed until smooth.

Pesto is usually served as a dressing for pasta, the most commonly being the trofie pasta. Potatoes and green beans are often added as well. The Genovese minestrone soup is differentiated by the addition of pesto swirled in upon serving.

In Liguria, the appropriate quantity to buy pesto is in “giant tubs”.

Step by Step

Asparagus puff pastry tart has only a few ingredients and is quick and easy to assemble! Let’s get started!

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Unroll the puff pastry dough. If necessary, roll it out into a large rectangle. Lay the puff pastry onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. If using frozen puff pastry, make sure it is fully defrosted before using.

Use a knife to score a 2cm border, careful not to cut all the way through the dough. Prick with a fork all over the bottom of the pastry inside the border. This will allow the border to puff up in the oven while the middle now has holes for air to escape, so it will remain a flat base.

To prepare the fresh asparagus, trim the woody bottoms off the asparagus and with a vegetable peeler, peel the lower third of each stalk. If any of the stalks are really large, cut them in half lengthwise.

Spread the ricotta cheese on the puff pastry inside the border.

Dollop good quality pesto on top of the ricotta and with the back of a spoon, spread the pesto. It doesn’t have to be an even layer, just enough so there is a taste of pesto in every bite.

Lay the asparagus over the pastry, in alternating directions.

Sprinkle over the top with a pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil, making sure the border gets a sheen of oil on it to help browning.

Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until pastry is puffy and golden brown and the asparagus are tender.

Cut the asparagus ricotta tart into squares and serve warm or room temperature.

Tips and FAQs

Variations

Top the asparagus pesto tart with pieces of torn prosciutto after it comes out of the oven.
Add thin slices of red onion or cherry tomatoes to the top of the tart and cook with along with the asparagus for additional flavor.

Does asparagus need to be precooked for asparagus pesto tart?

No, if the asparagus spears are small to average size, they will not need precooking. If they are particularly large, the asparagus can be simply sliced in half lengthwise before adding to the top of the tart.

If you love ricotta appetizers, try spinach and ricotta meatballs!