Asparagus, Ricotta & Hazelnut Tart
Flaky pastry, creamy cheesy filling, earthy tender asparagus and crunchy roasted hazelnuts. This asparagus, ricotta and hazelnut tart is the perfect lunch or light dinner!
Ingredients
Rough-Puff Pastry
- 200 g plain flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- 200 g unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 100 ml ice-cold water
Filling
- 100 g ricotta cheese
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 50 g parmesan cheese plus more for sprinkling
- 1 large egg
- 460 g asparagus
- 30 g roasted hazelnuts chopped
- 1 tbsp mint leaves chopped
Glaze
- 1 large egg beaten
Instructions
- For the pastry: Place the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and using a blunt knife roughly mix the butter into the flour. You want to maintain the lumps of butter, so don’t mix too hard. Pour in half of the water and using your hand, roughly mix to combine. Then pour in the remaining water a little at a time, until the mixture just comes together (you may not need to use all the water).
- Tip the mixture out onto a floured work surface and roll into a long rectangle, with the short edge facing you. (You want it to be around 15cmx45cm.) Then fold the top third of the dough down over the middle third, and fold the bottom third up over the two-thirds, as if you are folding a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees, so the open ends are facing you, and repeat the rolling and folding process. Then wrap tightly in clingfilm, and place into the fridge for 30minutes to chill.
- Remove from the fridge, and repeat the rolling and folding process twice more. Re-wrap the dough in clingfilm, before chilling again for 1 hour. Then preheat oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas Mark 6.
- For the filling: Combine the ricotta, lemon zest & juice, parmesan and egg in a bowl, adding salt & pepper to taste. Then prepare the asparagus by removing the woody ends, and cutting any large asparagus spears in half lengthways.
- To assemble: Roll the pastry out directly onto baking paper to create a large rectangle about 21cmx33cm. Spread the ricotta filling on the pastry, leaving a 1inch border all the way around. Lay the asparagus on top, alternating so the tips are on opposite sides. Then sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts over top.
- Brush the exposed pastry with the remaining beaten egg, then place in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes until pastry is golden brown and asparagus are cooked through. Sprinkle over some fresh chopped mint and a little more parmesan before serving.
Notes
Tart best served warm on day of baking.
Tart can be kept for 1-2 days in an air-tight container in the fridge, and refreshed in the oven for 5 minutes at 200C/180C Fan/Gas Mark 6.