This asparagus puff pastry tart with eggs and feta cheese is the perfect brunch recipe. It is so easy to prepare and looks so beautiful and elegant. It is super flaky, crispy, cheesy, and overall delicious with the tender asparagus and runny egg yolks. The lemon zest and crumbled feta give it an extra pop of flavor which I love. You can literally prepare it in minutes and enjoy yourself a mimosa brunch this weekend.
It's still spring which means asparagus is still going strong. And this recipe is basically spring in a puff pastry tart form. It's so vibrant and beautiful, just perfect on a warm weekend.
This tart would also go great with some smoked salmon or even my slow-roasted salmon flaked on top. But you can really make it your own with whatever toppings you enjoy!
Ingredients
- Frozen puff pastry: It makes this recipe so easy and quick to prepare. Just make sure to thaw your puff pastry according to package directions.
- Asparagus: Look for vibrant, firm asparagus with the tips in tact and not mushy.
- Cheese: We'll be using shredded mozzarella and gruyere cheese for the nice meltiness and flavor they provide, plus feta cheese for the bright, tangy flavor.
- Eggs: Runny yolks make everything better, especially breakfast or brunch, but you can cook the eggs to your liking.
- Dijon mustard: A thin coating on the puff pastry adds an extra layer of flavor.
- Lemon: The zest adds a delicious pop of flavor to the whole tart.
Instructions
Wash the asparagus first thing because you need the asparagus to be completely dry before you place them on the puff pastry.
Trim off all the tough, woody ends. To make sure you're trimming enough, if the knife doesn't glide through easily, you need to trim more.
Once your asparagus is trimmed and dried, make the tart in 6 easy steps:
- Use a dull knife or butter knife to score a one inch border all around the puff pastry, and then use a fork to prick the pastry all over within the borders. Prebake the puff pastry on its own to prevent an undercooked and soggy bottom.
- Gently brush the baked crust with dijon mustard. Doing so will deflate the center of the tart, which is actually what we want so we can add the rest of the ingredients.
- Sprinkle the gruyere and mozzarella cheese all over.
- Toss the asparagus with a bit of olive oil and salt, then arrange on the tart in whatever pattern you want.
- Make little openings between the asparagus to gently crack the eggs in, then sprinkle salt, pepper, and lemon zest all over.
- Bake the tart until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Personally, I bake it till the whites are solid and the yolks are runny or jammy.
Substitutions and Variations:
This recipe is naturally vegetarian.
- Vegan - use plant-based cheese and omit the eggs.
- Cheese - you can use any cheese you like in place of mozzarella and gruyere, just make sure it is a good melting cheese such as fontina. You could also substitute the feta with chunks of goat cheese, ricotta, brie, or parmesan.
- Asparagus - if you can get your hands on white asparagus or purple asparagus, you could make a beautiful, colorful tart with them.
- Dijon mustard - if you don't like or don't have it, you can omit it or replace it with pesto or another spread you enjoy.
- Spicy - sprinkle aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper before baking to add heat.
- Meat - if you'd like, you can add some prosciutto or crispy bacon
- Puff pastry - the easy route is to buy it because it is so quick to assemble with premade dough, but of course feel free to use a homemade dough if you prefer.
- Tartlets - if you don't want to make one big tart, you could buy puff pastry squares and make individual tartlets. Perfect if you prefer a whole egg on each mini tart!
Tips on How to Make the Perfect Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart
- Every oven is different, so baking time may vary. When prebaking the puff pastry, err on the side of caution and leave it in longer rather than shorter. It is very important to let the tart puff up and turn brown and crispy, otherwise you'll end up with a sad, floppy tart.
- Once the crust is out of the oven, if you have the time, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes to let the steam continue cooking the center layers before you weigh it down with toppings.
- Do not buy shredded cheese - they have anti-caking agents which alter their flavor and quality, plus they don't melt as well. Grate your own cheese if possible.
- Do not overload the tart. Puff pastry is delicate and it won't hold its structure if you add too many heavy toppings.
- Make enough room for the eggs before you crack them onto the tart. If they are too crowded, the whites will take longer to cook and you may end up with overcooked yolks (unless you prefer hard yolks).
- For a little extra flavor, drizzle some olive oil over the cracked eggs before you bake it.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is best to place the frozen puff pastry in the fridge overnight to let it thaw gently and stay cold. But if you're in a rush, leave the frozen puff pastry on your kitchen for about half an hour to an hour until it is soft to touch and pliable. Once it gets to that point, place it in the fridge if you are not going to use it immediately.
This tart is best consumed immediately in order to enjoy the crispy puff pastry and the runny egg yolks. If you anticipate having leftovers, I recommend prioritizing eating the sections with egg yolks on them as they do not reheat very well. Otherwise, store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.
Place leftovers on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven (or toaster oven) until warmed through.
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If you’ve tried making this asparagus puff pastry tart with eggs and feta or any other recipe on Forks & Foliage, then please don't forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! I would be so happy to hear how it turned out for you. And if you took any photos or videos, please share them with me on Instagram @forksandfoliage so I can see the deliciousness you made!
Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart with Eggs and Feta
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
- 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed and rolled to about 10 x 15 inches
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 3 ounces mozarella cheese, shredded
- 3 ounces gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 small lemon, zested
- 3 tablespoons feta, crumbled
- ¼ teaspoon flakey salt, or kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Place puff pastry on parchment paper. If it is not already about 10 x 15 inches, roll it out to approximately that size. Use a dull knife to score a one inch border all around, then use a fork to make several pricks all over the dough within the border. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until puffy and golden brown. Set aside and keep the oven on.
- Brush the dijon mustard gently all over the puff pastry within the border. It's okay to deflate the pastry while brushing it. Sprinkle the shredded mozarella and gruyere cheese all over.
- Toss the asparagus with the olive oil and kosher salt, then arrange all over the tart. Make small gaps between some of the asparagus and crack the eggs in them. Sprinkle most of the flakey salt over the eggs, then the rest of the salt, black pepper, and lemon zest all over the tart.
- Bake the assembled tart in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the eggs are set to your liking.
- Let the tart rest for 5 minutes, then crumble the feta cheese all over, cut, and serve.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and may vary.
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