These ridiculously easy asparagus and parmesan tarts look ultra impressive, so are perfect for showing off without going to a lot of effort. Lazy? Me? Yep! Ideal for dinner party starters or family lunches when you don’t have a lot of time to prepare. Serve with a whole heap of salad leaves and you’ve got yourself a very good looking and tasty meal.
I made this batch for a weeknight supper, leaving the asparagus out of the boys’ versions and customising theirs with ham and cheddar. You could even get them to make their own, it’s that simple!
Quick and Easy Asparagus and Parmesan Tarts
Ingredients
1 pack ready rolled puff pastry
4 tbsp cream cheese
1 tbsp pesto
24 asparagus tips
parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unroll the puff pastry and cut into quarters. Score the edges of each square with a knife to give a 1cm border.
2. Mix the cream cheese with the pesto, and then spread a thin layer over each pastry square, leaving the borders untouched.
3. Rinse and trim the asparagus, and then place approx six on each square. Brush the borders of each pastry square with a little beaten egg to glaze.
4. Scatter the tarts with freshly grated parmesan cheese, leaving the borders clear if possible. Then oven bake for 20-30 mins until golden.
Vegetarian? You’ll need to find veggie-friendly versions of parmesan and pesto…
If you want some more ideas for puff pastry tarts, here are some from my clever blogging friends:
Puff Pastry Cheese, Courgette & Mint from Kavey Eats
Brie, Potato & Mushroom Tart from Tinned Tomatoes
Easy Summer Fruit Tartlets from Ren Behan
They look lovely Katie, I don’t think I’ve ever done asparagus on puff pastry even though we’re such puff pastry fiends!
Oooh it’s a really good one to do Sarah as it looks mega posh, tastes great, but is child’s play to make 🙂
I love puff pastry tarts, they are so easy and so good. I’ve not made one for a while, but I have some puff in the fridge. I must try a creamy filling too. Thanks for linking to me. Stumbled, pinned and tweeted 🙂
Thanks Jac – I go through phases of forgetting about them, then falling in love all over again!
I love puff pastry tarts, such a tasty and easy dinner. Lining up the asparagus like that looks so elegant! Thanks for sharing one of mine!
Asparagus is easily the classiest veg!
A roll of good quality (ie made with butter) is my freezer secret weapon. Lovely recipe Katie.