Asparagus & Pesto Tart

A delicious asparagus tart with pesto recipe. The perfect way to cook asparagus, and this tasty tart makes the perfect brunch potluck idea.

Don’t be thrown off by the use of homemade shortcrust pastry in this recipe. It’s very easy to make, and will always taste a treat. But you don’t have to. Instead you can use store bought if you prefer.

Though there is a bonus if using pre-made shortcrust pastry. Making this asparagus tart will be an absolute walk in the park.

Part of a brunch buffet

I am a lover of all things easy and this is an easy asparagus tart to make. It could be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but I think it is perfect for a spring Sunday brunch.

Simply serve with a fresh green salad, and I like to sprinkle with a few freshly chopped chives for a subtle onion hit.

The following dishes would make great accompaniments to the tart for a lazy brunch buffet.

• Tomato, mozzarella & basil salad
• Ham & egg hash brown nests
• Burrata salsa tartufata
• Honey almond chicken fingers
• Zucchini mushroom croquettes

Shortcrust pastry food processor method

Making pastry in a food processor is really easy, not quite sure why I don’t do it more often!

It is as simple as placing flour and butter in the food processor. Blitz until a crumbly mix is achieved. It will resemble breadcrumbs.

Then pulse through the egg yolk and water. Turn mix out on to a clean working surface and knead until the dough comes together. Don’t overwork your dough or it will become tough.

Shortcrust pastry by hand

You don’t need a food processor to make the pastry for the asparagus tart. People have been making pastry by hand of centuries. Sure, the food processor speeds things up.

The trick to making shortcrust by hand is not not over heat your ingredients. Place cubes of butter and flour in a bowl. Using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

It is important to only use your fingertips, if you use fingers and the palms of your hands you risk melting the butter into the flour. We don’t want this.

Mix through egg yolk and water. Then continue as with the food processor method.

Sara xxx

Belly Rumbles received the shown asparagus spears with much thanks from the Australian Asparagus Council.

Recipe

Asparagus & Pesto Tart

Recipe Author: Sara McCleary

The perfect tart for a spring brunch in the garden.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Course Brunch

Servings 4

Calories 656 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• Pastry
• 265 grams plain flour
• 125 grams chilled butter large diced (I used salted butter)
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons iced water
• Filling
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 80 grams pesto
• 40 grams parmesan finely grated
• 2 bunches mini asparagus

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven 180 deg C (360 deg F). Line the base of a 12.5cm x 35cm (7 x 14 inch) rectangular loose base tart tin with baking paper and grease the sides with a little spray oil.
• Place flour and butter in food processor. Blitz until a crumbly mix is achieved, like breadcrumbs. Pulse through egg yolk and water.
• Turn mix out on to a clean working surface and knead until the dough comes together. Do not over work your mixture. Roll out between two pieces of baking paper, creating a rectangular shape, which is 5mm thick. Line your tart tin with the pastry and then place a piece of baking paper on top. Fill with pastry weights and blind bake for 20 minutes. Remove baking paper and weights, bake for a further 5 minutes.
• While your tart is blind baking, wash and remove any woody ends from your asparagus. Then trim in order for the spears to fit your tart tin.
• In a small bowl beat eggs with milk, season with a little pepper and salt.
• Once tart case is out of the oven, spread the base with pesto and then sprinkle two thirds of the parmesan cheese on top of this. Lay your spears in the tart case, then pour over the egg and milk mixture. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top of the tart.
• Place tart in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
• Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve with a garden salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 656kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 17gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 208mgSodium: 615mgPotassium: 298mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2085IUVitamin C: 4.5mgCalcium: 228mgIron: 5.5mg

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