WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS This beautiful tart takes just minutes to assemble and makes for an impressive brunch dish, appetizer, or even a simple light lunch or dinner. We experimented with several different crusts, trying a pie shell, a tart shell, and parbaked puff pastry. The buttery, flaky puff pastry was absolutely irresistible, and so easy to prep. For a fresh, light filling, we simply scattered the asparagus and other toppings over the pastry base. Cutting the asparagus spears into thin 1-inch pieces made the tart easier to eat and ensured that the asparagus didn’t need precooking. We tossed the pieces with olive oil, plus garlic, lemon zest, scallions, and olives. For a creamy base to anchor the toppings, tangy, soft goat cheese nicely complemented the bright, grassy asparagus. Blending in a bit of olive oil made it easier to spread. We dolloped more cheese on top of the asparagus and baked the tart to golden perfection. To thaw frozen puff pastry, let it sit either in the refrigerator for 24 hours or on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Look for asparagus spears no thicker than ½ inch.

Serves 4

TOTAL TIME: 55 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 6 ounces thin asparagus, trimmed and cut ¼ inch thick on bias (1 cup)
• 2 scallions, sliced thin
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 4 ounces (1 cup) goat cheese, softened
• 1 (9½ by 9-inch) sheet puff pastry, thawed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine asparagus, scallions, 1 tablespoon oil, olives, garlic, zest, salt, and pepper. In a separate bowl, mix ¾ cup goat cheese and 1 tablespoon oil until smooth and set aside.
3. On a lightly floured counter, unfold pastry and roll it into a 10-inch square. Transfer the pastry to the prepared sheet. Lightly brush outer ½ inch of pastry square with water to create a border, then fold border toward the center, pressing gently to seal.
4. Spread the goat cheese mixture in an even layer over the center of the pastry, avoiding the folded border. Scatter the asparagus mixture over the goat cheese, then crumble the remaining ¼ cup goat cheese over the top of the asparagus mixture.
5. Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden and the asparagus is crisp-tender, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Let cool for 15 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, cut into 4 equal pieces, and serve.