MARTHASTEWART.COM

Asparagus Gruyere Tart

Especially when made with plum, in-season asparagus, this dish makes for a sophisticated, visually pleasing appetizer.
Everyday Food, March/April 2003
  • Prep Time 15 minutes
  • Total Time 45 minutes
  • Yield Serves 4
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Ingredients

  • Flour, for work surface
  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
  • 5 1/2 ounces (2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded
  • 1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

  2. Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Cook's Note

Store-bought puff pastry works well in this savory tart; thaw it according to package instructions. Emmentaler or Fontina cheese can be substituted for the Gruyere.

Recipe Reviews

Reviews (53)

  • Lizseck
    16 Apr, 2013

    This is delicious!! An absolute must try if you like asparagus. Do not go by the cooking times though....keep watching it while baking both times as other reviewers said or else it will not come out as good and may burn or get too brown.

  • catpawsoup
    11 Apr, 2013

    I've made this twice now. My husband loved it & asked me to make it again when his brother came to visit. Both times a big hit. I used phylo dough instead of puff pastry because my local grocery didn't carry puff pastry that didn't have hydrogenated oils in it. I found that easier because I didn't need to roll it out. I also used a combination of Gruyere and Emmental cheese and used white truffle oil to drizzle on top. It's now a favorite go-to whenever it's asparagus season!

  • marjkapsis
    2 Apr, 2013

    Made this for an appetizer at Easter & it was a hit, very easy. I substituted the gruyere for fontina...easy too!!!

  • RoxyFahl
    14 Mar, 2013

    looks good

  • wildboyzmom
    10 Mar, 2013

    Just made this tonight as a side dish to pork tenderloin. Really tasty! My husband and kids who are picky eaters loved it! Judy4H--I think you nailed it, this would be great with a soft yolk egg on top.

  • boggle234
    19 Feb, 2013

    I'm looking to make this as an appetizer for a larch brunch party. Can this be made in advance, frozen, then baked? Can this be served room temp?

  • JudyH4
    18 Feb, 2013

    Thank you to the others who posted about adjusting the cooking time and blanching the asparagus!
    I didn't roll out the dough as thin as recommended - it just seemed TOO thin! I baked it for about 12 minutes and added the cheese and blanched asparagus. Next time I would spray it lightly with olive oil rather than brush it with oil. I baked it for about 12 minutes again. I've discovered leftovers make a nice breakfast with a soft yolk egg laid over the top of a warm piece with salt & pepper.

  • AnnellaW
    9 Feb, 2013

    Despite discovering I only had shortcrust pastry, this recipe still turned out amazingly well. I blanched the asparagus first as I was worried the shortcrust might turn into concrete if I cooked it for the length of time recommended. I can only imagine how fantastic this is with puff pastry. Highly recommended recipe - it looked amazing and was delicious.

  • petesjoy
    28 Nov, 2012

    So simple to make, yet this dish looks really impressive. My only little addition was to sprinkle the cooked base with some finely chopped garlic before adding the cheese.

  • crazydaisymom
    4 Nov, 2012

    I made this for a dinner party and it was a huge hit! I used crescent rolls spread out into a rectangle shape and baked for 10 minutes. I also used thin asparagus and 15 minute bake time was perfect! This will definitely be made many more times.

  • Matilda
    27 Jul, 2012

    Puff pastry was too long, or the temp was too high..... oh well, guess there's always another day and another way.

  • sdoublait
    10 May, 2012

    This is a lovely first course but the cook time for the puff pastry is too long. 35-40 minutes will result in overcooked; tough or burned puff pastry. The first cook time is 10 minutes and the second should be 10-15. Of course this means blanching the asparagus, but it is worth the extra step.

  • knitionary
    16 Apr, 2012

    This was amazing, so easy, but excellent and beautiful. I will be making it again soon.

  • aholden
    9 Apr, 2012

    this was excellent, so easy to make. i made it for Easter and my mom loved it too! thank you will be making it again.

  • margalaco
    1 May, 2011

    Very easy to make and it's always delicious, the presentation is great so it is a good one to take out for friends get-together, people love it!

  • BlondeCaveFish
    23 Mar, 2011

    I tried this recipe for the first time tonight ... It's AMAZING!!! I'll definitely be making this again AND sharing the recipe!

    The only thing I did differently was bake it for 15 minutes instead of the suggested 20 - 25.

  • mfwa
    17 Mar, 2011

    so easy. so tasty. sure to become a staple.

  • humus
    6 Aug, 2010

    This has become a regular at our house. It is so beautiful

  • SBeyne
    14 May, 2010

    Marinate asparagus in Balsamic and Olive and pre-roast until only 'medium'. FInish as directed in recipe. Excellent!! Sarah

  • HSmith157
    10 Apr, 2010

    Made this today. Ended up replacing the Gruy?ɬ

  • geojill
    10 Apr, 2010

    I made this on Easter Sunday and served this as an appetizer. It was delicious. It looks beautiful, so easy to make. Cant wait to make this again.

  • brieh
    8 Apr, 2010

    This is very good! When I made it, I spread a bit of dijon mustard as a base layer on half of it and it was very good.

  • tomassina
    6 Apr, 2010

    Very good - but I had to shorten the cooking times....careful !
    Also,cutting the asparagus beforehand is an excellent tip.
    Everyone loved it - looks very chic !!

  • tomassina
    6 Apr, 2010

    Very good - but I had to shorten the cooking times....careful !
    Also,cutting the asparagus beforehand is an excellent tip.
    Everyone loved it - looks very chic !!

  • feedemwell
    6 Apr, 2010

    I've been maiking this recipe for a couple of years now, it was in an Everyday Food issue. It is ALWAYS a hit! The gruyere is a must, I also shred parm and some fresh cracked black pepper on top prior to baking. Delish!

  • SusieGallo
    5 Apr, 2010

    Since we were having Easter Celebration at our house thought I would try this recipe. Everyone just loved it. I did make a change, since I have trouble with my hands, instead of puffed pastry (which I love), substituted a can of cresent rolls at it came out great.

  • sbixby
    5 Apr, 2010

    Just served this for Easter appetizer....let's see....I'd say that it was out for ten minutes and then it was ALL gone...POOF....all gone! So so so easy to make!

  • roserobin
    10 Mar, 2010

    I made this a couple days ago and brought it over for a hottub night at friends' house. It was a hit and I am making it again soon. I make a cheese combo of half munster and half mozzerella. Didn't have gruyere. It was soooo good. I also added sliced roma tomatoes. It got eatten all up!!

  • suecooke
    10 Mar, 2010

    Phyllo instead of puff pastry...MUCH better

  • bamaingeorgia
    26 Jul, 2009

    Any ideas for making this less expensively - those cheeses are pricey....

  • kkwhite20
    16 May, 2009

    Absolutely DELICIOUS! My family loved it! Next time I will add sliced tomatoes.

  • megawoman
    14 May, 2009

    I suppose you could use an egg mixture with cream as a substitute, or a cream sauce with seasoning of your choice.

  • tinamillsap
    14 May, 2009

    Anyone hav eany thoughts on what you could use instead of cheese? I dislike cheese, but love Asparagus and tarts! Any thoughts?

  • FerretKisses
    18 Apr, 2009

    This is a good recipe....tastes great!

  • FerretKisses
    18 Apr, 2009

    These came out great! I made two of them and everybody loved them. You do have to be careful with the temperature and on what shelf in the oven you put it on because the puff pastry can burn easily. I'm definitely gonna make it again.

  • Sewbusy18
    25 Mar, 2009

    I tried this is it was great - love the guyere cheese. However, the second time I made this, the pastry didn't puff - don't know what happened?

  • mrsmath
    10 Mar, 2009

    What a great recipe! It's something you can assemble slightly ahead of time

  • cpaig
    26 Jan, 2009

    I make this every Easter. It is so good I would be in trouble if I didn't make two. I don't know why I save it for Easter.

  • FireGal
    8 Dec, 2008

    I made this just for fun and it was fantastic! One of my favourite recipes. I plan to make it for my sweet man during the Christmas holidays.

  • mcs2pcs
    7 Jul, 2008

    I loved how good it was and how quick and easy it was. I decided that I would prefer to cut up my asparagus beforehand, though. Makes it a little easier to cut the cooked tart.

  • my2blessings
    3 Jul, 2008

    This is a great recipe for asparagus. A pretty dish and very yummy.

  • LivingTheGoodLife
    23 Jun, 2008

    LOVE this recipe!! Always a winner in my house! It goes well with a marinara sauce for dipping if you want a little variation. You can put a little garlic powder over the top if you want another variation or drizzle with the oil found in sun dried tomatoes that are packed in oil. Also, if by chance you have left overs, it goes great with a fried or poached egg on top for breakfast!

  • hrmitchell
    20 May, 2008

    I also made this for Easter and it was a hit with my family as well. I alternated white and green asparagus for fun. It was delicious and beautiful. The only thing is, I am starting to get a reputation from Martha's recipes and now I am expected to bring something to each holiday! :)

  • mmsrjs
    24 Apr, 2008

    we have this quite often, ever since I found Martha's recipe. Thanks so much. It is as beautiful as it is tasty.

  • mmsrjs
    24 Mar, 2008

    Made this for Easter Dinner 3 23 08, it looked great, just like Martha's and the taste was exquisit everyone loved it and it has become a definite "keeper" and you know it will be made again and again. Thank you so much Martha!

  • mymags
    23 Mar, 2008

    This was delicious and very easy to make. My family loved it.

  • berkeleymomKKT
    19 Mar, 2008

    very easy, nice change to the typical steamed asparagus

  • monkey
    19 Mar, 2008

    I've made this before and it was a huge success!

  • NinaB23
    18 Mar, 2008

    This looks so mouth watering; I cannot wait to try it!

  • pomegranatesky6
    26 Dec, 2007

    This tart is delicious and beautiful. Be careful not to roll the pastry too thin because it burns easily.

  • NCBeaches
    26 Nov, 2007

    This was great. Its also in the new Costco Cookbook under Asparagus Fontina Tart (Victoria Island Farms)

  • MarthaKops
    24 Nov, 2007

    Had this at Thanksgiving and it was delicious! I had to get the recipe, and I will be making it for this New Year's gourmet potluck. Great for non-meat eaters, too!

  • spamom
    14 Nov, 2007

    absolutely delicious!!!!