Shaved Asparagus and Pea Tart

Brought to you by

Crisp spring vegetables pair beautifully with creamy mornay sauce and flaky puff pastry in this easy Shaved Asparagus & Pea Tart from the master cooking instructors at Just Add Salt. Add chopped cherry tomatoes for a pop of color!

By Just Add Salt / Photography By Just Add Salt | February 02, 2018

Ingredients

MORNAY SAUCE:

¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups whole milk, warmed
½ cup grated Gruyère cheese
½ cup grated Jarlsburg cheese
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

TART INGREDIENTS:

1 package Dufour puff pastry, defrosted
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
2 cups fresh English peas, blanched
½ cup coarsely chopped mint
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Make Mornay Sauce: Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over moderately low heat. Add flour and cook until browned, whisking constantly, for 4 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking constantly, and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer for about 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. Whisk in cheese until melted, followed by salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat.

3. Lay puff pastry out on a cutting board, and score a 1-inch border around the edge to create a crust. Prick all over with a fork. Transfer to a large baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Spread Mornay sauce over center of puff pastry so it is nearly covered, leaving about an ½-inch border along the edge.

4. Bake crust until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Prick tart with a fork every 5 minutes to reduce puffs of air. When crust is golden, check base of crust to assess if it is crispy. If still moist, turn off oven and leave crust in oven for 15 minutes to dry out. Set aside crust to cool. Crust can be made up to 5 hours ahead.

5. Prepare Topping: Shave asparagus with a peeler into a glass bowl in very thin strips until you have about 2 cups. Add peas, mint, olive oil and Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

6. To Serve: Spread asparagus and pea mixture onto cooled crust. Top with cherry tomatoes if desired. Drizzle with olive oil, cut into wedges and serve immediately.