I've read a thousand recipes for asparagus tart, all of which are lovely iterations in their own right, but last night I made what has come to be my favorite variation on the theme, and it couldn't be simpler or more delicious. I like to call mine galette aux asperges because I'm bougie like that.
Obviously the crust is clutch, and I am a sucker for a store-bought pie crust. I'm not talking about going to a local bakery and begging for pie crust to-go. I'm not even talking Pillsbury pie crust (which is great). I'm talking generic, Publix-brand, two-to-a-package pastry crust, which I find easy to work with, buttery, flaky, and perfect. I laid the crust out flat on a baking sheet (I would've used a layer of parchment paper too, but I was out, and honestly it didn't make a lick of difference), then artfully arranged about a half-bundle of fresh asparagus over the crust. I gave a rustic, overlapping fold all the way around the edges of the tart, just covering the trimmed ends and most of the asparagus tips. Then I squeezed half a lemon, generously sprinkled salt and pepper all over the top of the green veggies, and added the crucial finishing touch, the real raison d’être of the thing, a snowstorm of shaved Asiago. I love the melt factor of this cheese, the golden color it takes on, and the nutty, pungent bite. A final drizzle of olive oil and into the oven she goes.
I baked the tart for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees and let it set up for just a couple minutes out of the oven before cutting it into 4 big, beautiful slices. I served it with a little green salad of watercress and an ever-so-slightly chilled glass of Langhe Nebbiolo (I love this one from a woman-run vineyard in the Piemonte), which couldn't have paired more nicely with my tangy, cheesy, tart. It was a very verdant success!
