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This easy Tomato and Asparagus Tart tastes as good as it looks! It is an easy brunch recipe made with puff pastry, fresh asparagus, tomatoes, and cheese.

A sliced asparagus and tomato tart garnished with herbs.


 

This quick and easy tomato and asparagus puff pastry tart makes an irresistable appetizer or brunch recipe. In just a few simple steps you transform a prepared puff pastry into an amazing slice and serve tart topped with fresh asparagus, tomatoes, Gruyere and goat cheese.

Table of contents

An appetizing Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart with asparagus, cheese, and tomatoes served in slices.

Perfectly cooked puff pastry topped with two of my favorite ingredients, asparagus and goat cheese. It’s light, crisp, and the perfect addition to any spring brunch. It also makes a great light lunch when you’re craving something fresh and bright.

What Ingredients Do I Need?

  • Puff Pastry – A light, flaky, and buttery dough, known for its delicate layers that puff up in the oven to create a golden, crispy texture. It’s a versatile base for both sweet and savory dishes, from elegant pinwheels and spinach puffs to turnovers and danish.
  • Gruyère  cheese – Gruyère is a rich, creamy Swiss cheese known for its nutty and slightly sweet flavor. It is perfect for melting making it a favorite in dishes ranging from popovers to casseroles.
  • Goat Cheese – This soft, tangy cheese adds a little creaminess to the tart as it melts and it perfectly compliments the asparagus and tomatoes!
  • Asparagus – You’ll want beautiful, fresh asparagus spears for this recipe so it can be the star of the show!
  • Cherry tomatoes – We use a mix of heirloom cherry tomatoes so add extra color to the dish.
  • Egg white – This is whisked together with water to create an egg wash. This helps the pastry to develop a golden brown color as it bakes.

What can I use Instead of Goat Cheese?

If you don’t like goat cheese you can substitute a feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, Fontina cheese, or just add more Gruyere.

How to Prepare the Puff Pastry

Person using a fork to dock a sheet of pastry dough for Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart
  1. Roll out the Puff Pastry. Place a thawed puff pastry sheet on a piece of parchment paper and roll it into a 10” x 16” rectangle. Make sure to add a little flour to your rolling pin so the dough doesn’t stick.
  2. Score the Pastry. Use a knife to lightly score the dough creating a 1-inch border by drawing a rectangle shape into the dough (don’t go all the way through!). See photo above for reference.
  3. Prick the inside of the drawn rectangle with a fork. This will make the edges puff up and leave the center lower.
  4. Brush edges with egg white. In a small bowl whisk the eggs white and then use a basting brush to brush the egg white over the outer edges of the dough.
  5. Bake. Move the parchment paper with the tart dough on it to a baking sheet and put it in the oven to bake for 12 minutes. When it has finished baking set aside. We used Pepperidge Farms pastry sheets. Your bake time may vary with other brands or from scratch recipes.
Wrapping fresh asparagus in a damp kitchen towel for Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart

How to Trim Asparagus

Trimming asparagus is like giving it a little haircut before the big show, ensuring every bite is tender and enjoyable. So, grab your asparagus bundle, and let’s get those stalks ready for the spotlight!

Step 1: Rinse and Dry

First things first, give your asparagus a good rinse under cold water to wash away any lingering dirt or grit. Shake off the excess water or pat them dry with a kitchen towel. You want them clean but not waterlogged.

Step 2 – Examine Your Spears

Take a moment to look at your asparagus spears. You’ll notice they have a natural breaking point where the woody, tough end begins to turn tender. This is what you’re aiming to remove. The bottom part can be rather fibrous and chewy, not exactly what you want in your perfect bite.

Step 4 – Snap or Chop

Here’s where the magic happens. You have two options to trim your asparagus, each equally effective, depending on your preference or if you’re aiming for a more uniform look.

The Snap Method

Hold a spear of asparagus at both ends and gently bend it. It will naturally snap at the point where the stem starts to become tough. This method is foolproof and ensures you’re only getting the most tender part of the asparagus. However, it might leave you with spears of varying lengths, which is perfectly fine for most home-cooked meals.

The Chop Method

If you’re looking for uniformity or working with a large batch, lay all your asparagus spears on a cutting board and line them up by the tips. Find the general area where the color starts to change from white or pale green to a deeper green—that’s your cue. Grab a sharp knife and slice about 1 to 2 inches off the bottom of the stalks. This method is quick, efficient, and gives your dish a restaurant-quality presentation.

Step 4: Ready, Set, Cook!

Now that your asparagus is beautifully trimmed, it’s ready to use! Whether you’re roasting them with garlic and parmesan, serving them as a side for your chicken Madeira, or adding them to a casserole, they’re prepped and ready to impress.

More Asparagus Recipes

A slice of Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart being lifted, showcasing its colorful toppings.

What is the Difference Between Puff Pastry and Phyllo Dough?

It’s easy to confuse the two but puff pastry and phyllo dough are very different things and while both are delicious, for this recipe you’re going to want to make sure you purchase (or make!) puff pastry dough.

Puff pastry is made by layering dough with butter and rolling it together until you can’t see the folds of dough anymore. When it bakes it puffs up and all of that butter gives it a rich, buttery taste and a beautiful golden brown color.

Phyllo dough is super thin sheets of dough that are almost transparent. The sheets of dough are basted with butter and layered on top of one another before they are baked. This gives you a very light, super crisp, almost papery crust.

Can You Reheat Cooked Puff Pastry?

Baked puff pastry tarts like this one are best if they are eaten on the same day they are made. The toppings have moisture in them and they will begin to soften the crust as it sits.

If you do have leftovers of your asparagus tart and you want to reheat them the next day you can reheat them in a 200-250 degrees F oven. Place them on a sheet pan and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until warmed through. This should help re-crisp the tart before serving.

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How to Make Tomato and Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart

Servings: 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Tomato and Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart

Created By: Kat Jeter & Melinda Caldwell
This easy Asparagus Tart tastes as good as it looks! It is an easy appetizer of brunch recipe made with puff pastry, fresh asparagus, tomatoes, and cheese.
A sliced asparagus and tomato tart garnished with herbs.
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Ingredients

  • 1 sheet Puff Pastry
  • 4 ounces Gruyere cheese
  • 3 ounces Goat Cheese , crumbled
  • 15 Asparagus Spears, approximately (see note 2)
  • 1 cup Cherry tomatoes, sliced into thin, flat, slices
  • 1 large Egg white

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F
  • Place a thawed puff pastry sheet on a piece of parchment paper and roll it into a 10” x 16” rectangle.
    A sheet of raw pastry dough on parchment paper for an Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart
  • Use a knife to lightly score the dough about 1 inch from the edge, drawing a rectangle shape into the dough (don't go all the way through!).
    Sheet of uncooked pastry dough on parchment paper for an Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart
  • Prick the inside of the drawn rectangle with a fork. This will make the edges puff up and leave the center lower.
    Person using a fork to dock a sheet of pastry dough for Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart
  • In a small bowl whisk the eggs white and then use a basting brush to brush the egg white over the outer edges of the dough.
    A glass bowl containing a mixture of beaten egg next to a pastry brush and a sheet of dough with holes poked in it for Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart
  • Move the parchment paper with the tart dough on it to a baking sheet and put it in the oven to bake for 12 minutes. When it has finished baking set aside. See note #1 below.
    Freshly Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart in a rectangular pan lined with parchment paper.
  • While the pastry bakes wash and trim about 15 asparagus spears (or however many you will need to cover the puff pastry). See note #2 below.
    Wrapping fresh asparagus in a damp kitchen towel for Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart
  • Par-cook your asparagus by either boiling them for 1-2 minutes or steaming them. I wrap my asparagus spears in a damp paper towel and put them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Once they are done run them under cold water to stop the cooking process and then dry thoroughly with a paper towel.
  • Sprinkle the Gruyere cheese and goat cheese over the tart (leaving the outer edges bare).
    Unbaked Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart
  • Lay the asparagus spears and sliced cherry tomatoes on the cheese.
    Freshly baked Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart with cherry tomatoes and cheese on a parchment-lined baking tray.
  • Place the tart back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
    Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart on a baking sheet.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. We used Pepperidge Farms pastry sheets. Your bake time may vary with other brands or from scratch recipes.
  2. I suggest using the thinnest asparagus spears you can find so it will cook quickly in the oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 174kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 114mg, Potassium: 51mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 233IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 109mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition Disclaimer: We are not certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size. Results may vary.
Course: Brunch
Cuisine: American

This was originally published on 3/2/15. It was republished on 4/9/24 with updated recipe and photos.