Asparagus & Goat Cheese Tart

I made this Asparagus & Goat Cheese Tart because, to me, nothing says “spring” like beautiful fresh asparagus.

The best way to store asparagus is to trim the bottoms off of the stems then place them in a glass of water, just like you’d do with a bouquet of flowers. Place the glass in the refrigerator if you have room. Since I was using mine within a day I just kept them on the kitchen counter.

This tart is super easy to make and looks very elegant on the table. The whole thing comes together quickly and bakes in a matter of minutes.

The base of the tart is a buttery, flaky pie crust. My recipe for pie crust is easy to make and very easy to handle. If you have a favorite recipe of course you can use that, or use a store-bought crust if that’s your preference.

I baked this tart in a beautiful rectangular tart pan. I like the way the asparagus tips look all lined up in the pan. I laid the spears out with the tips alternating to either side to fit as many in the pan as possible. I used the bottoms of the spears to make Asparagus Soup. Waste not, want not!

Try to get thin and tender spears for this dish so they can cook through while the tart bakes. If the spears you use are very thick you might want to briefly steam them to get them partially cooked before putting them on the tart.

The balsamic glaze adds a sweet richness at the end and works well with the earthy goat cheese filling.

This Asparagus & Goat Cheese Tart would be the perfect starter for a springtime dinner party. It could also be served as a light lunch, or for brunch with a couple of poached eggs on the side and maybe a few prosciutto crisps. Serve it warm or at room temperature.