Easy Asparagus Thyme Tart

By the way, did you know fresh asparagus squeaks when rubbed together? Me either. Just learned that fun food fact.

German restaurants also serve traditional and regional white asparagus dishes, but many present creative interpretations. You will find many wonderful variations on restaurant menus all across Germany.

The first step is to find the white asparagus for this Easy Asparagus Thyme Tart. Thankfully, I scored some at Chelsea Market in NYC.  I knew I wanted to make a tart with it. However,  I don’t want the recipe to be overly fussy or too complicated. An asparagus tart I saw in a German cooking magazine using puff pastry was just the ticket.

I love leftover ingredients to create a new recipe.

All the other ingredients in this Easy Asparagus Thyme Tart, excluding the green asparagus, were left over in my fridge. Sometimes that’s the best way to create a recipe. Competitive cooking shows do it all the time. The tart I saw in the magazine used red pesto to coat the asparagus before cooking. I definitely will be trying this in the future.

My result is a spring-themed tart, requiring very few ingredients. It is super easy to throw together for dinner, lunch, or brunch. This is also a great recipe for entertaining, especially if you are short on time. Speaking of saving time, I used a puff pastry crust for this Easy Asparagus Thyme Tart. So, by all means, if you have a favorite savory tart crust, feel free to swap it out. However, I would double the amount of sour cream if you do so.

White asparagus has a milder flavor than the green, so alternating the varieties in this tart presents a mellower flavor, a perfect contrast to the sharpness of the Swiss cheese.

Don’t forget to peel the white asparagus!

An important reminder for this Easy Asparagus Thyme Tart and for any recipe you make using white asparagus. Unlike the green, you must peel the asparagus before using. Almost all recipes explain this. However, if, like me, you like to make up recipes, I learned the hard way. Years ago, the look on my poor husband’s face, chewing the asparagus, still makes me cringe and laugh. Because of this, I’ve never repeated my mistake.

Print

Easy White & Green Asparagus Thyme Swiss Cheese Tart

Course Brunch, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine German

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

• 1 lb green asparagus
• 1 lb white asparagus
• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Trim the stems off the asparagus
3. Peel the white asparagus
4. Boil the asparagus for 10 minutes drain well and set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
6. While the asparagus is cooking, roll out or pat the puff pastry sheets into an 8" x 12" rectangle.
7. Brush the sour cream on top and sprinkle with the thyme leaves.
   
8. Lay the asparagus on top and sprinkle the shredded Swiss cheese evenly over the top.
   
9. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
   
10. Remove, let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
    

So, do you like this Easy Asparagus Thyme Tart? Then also check out some of these other delicious recipes:

ASPARAGUS WITH CREAMY RAMP GOAT CHEESE SAUCE

WHITE ASPARAGUS VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

WHITE ASPARAGUS MUSHROOM RAMP TART