Updated 03.28.26
Spring recipes always feel especially cheerful to me, and this tart is a perfect example. The bright green asparagus and peas make it look fresh and inviting, while the golden puff pastry brings that cozy, flaky finish that makes every bite feel just a little indulgent. For a smaller household, it is a lovely way to serve something beautiful without ending up with a table full of leftovers.
The pastry bakes blind first, so the base is properly crisp before the filling goes in. The asparagus and peas are blanched separately, then get combined with Gruyère, egg, lemon zest, and nutmeg into a mixture thick enough to sit inside the pastry walls without spreading. What comes out is a self-contained savory pie that slices cleanly and holds its shape on the plate.
Savory tarts are best when they are fresh from the oven, with the pastry crisp and the cheese still warm, but this one is just as enjoyable after it has cooled a bit. That makes it especially practical for brunch for two, when you want something that feels relaxed as well as special. Since all the filling ingredients are fully cooked or tender enough to enjoy with very little preparation, every slice is simple, flavorful, and easy to love, whether you serve it warm, at room temperature, or sneak a cold slice later.
This asparagus tart is best enjoyed on the day of baking as that keeps the crust crunchy, but you can make the tart ahead of time, keep it in the fridge for a few days, warm it in the oven and you can still expect a similar crunch and flakiness, and with the same delicious flavor.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Puff pastry
- Asparagus – try to find the very thin ones.
- Green peas
- Gruyere cheese – or Comte Cheese
- Egg – for egg wash
- Lemon zest
- Nutmeg
Watch in the short video here below and see how I make this Asparagus Tart with Peas & Gruyère. This video is followed by a step-by-step explanation.
Step-by-Step – How to Make Asparagus Tart with Peas & Gruyere
Step 1 – Thaw puff pastry according instructions on the packaging. Roll it out to a square of approx. 12 x 12 inches. Carefully cut off a perimeter of 1 inch and set them aside (we will need this later). Then poke the dough with a fork. Bake the crust at 400°F for about 10 minutes or until it starts to brown and is puffy. Allow to cool.
Step 2 – When the dough comes out of the oven, press the puffiness flat. Brush the egg wash (whisking the egg with 1/2 tablespoon of water) on the outer 1-inch perimeter. Top that brushed perimeter with the unbaked strips of dough (the egg wash acts as a glue). Cut off the excess on the corners. and then brush those strips with egg wash again.
- There is a faster way, if you prefer. Score (not cut) the dough 1 inch around the perimeter and you’ll have a similar, but less pronounced effect. The difference is that the outside of the crust will be less high than with the glue-on-method. And I believe the added strips give a more rustic look, especially at the corners.
Step 3 – Cook the asparagus in water with salt for about 3-5 minutes, add the frozen peas the last 2 minutes. Keep some of the asparagus tops as well as some peas aside (these will become the decorations of the tart). Drain the vegetables well; the drier the better. Too much moisture may result in the filling oozing out of the tart at the moment of cutting. Shred the Gruyère cheese.
Step 4 – Transfer the well-drained vegetables, shredded cheese, and lemon zest into a blender and mix until fine. It does not have to be as fine as pesto, a little bite here and there is fine. Add salt, pepper and the nutmeg to taste and mix again.
Step 5 – Transfer the vegetable-cheese mixture onto the tart and spread towards the edges, not over the edges.
Decorate the tart with the reserved asparagus tops and peas and slide the tart into the oven.
Step 5 – Bake for 12-15 minutes. The vegetable-cheese-mix becomes warm, the cheese melts and the dough strips have puffed up and turn a beautiful golden.
Take the tart out of the oven, allow to rest for about 10 minutes, Then cut in squares or wedges and serve.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can. Your goal is to have a flaky tart as if you prepped and baked on one day. There are two ways of doing this.
1. I recommend prepping the filling and the tart separately and assembling just before baking.
2. The next best way is to prepare the tart up to and including step 5. This means, you pre-bake the bottom (step 1), add the extra perimeter (step 2), make the vegetable cheese filling (step 3 and 4) and transfer it on top of the pastry (step 5). Place the tart in the refrigerator for a max. of 24 hours. Then take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking and bake it according to the recipe.
I don’t recommend freezing this tart. Puff pastry is best enjoyed fresh, and freezing can cause it to lose its crispness and become soggy when reheated.
I like to do that for this particular tart, in order to make the filling (asparagus, peas and Gruyère cheese) come out creamy. You could do without, especially when the asparagus are very thin and the peas are thawed. You could end up with more harder pieces, unless you process the filling finer.
Yes, there are many alternatives. Think about Comté cheese or Raclette, Fontina, Pecorino Romano, Cheddar or Gouda even. Goat cheese may not be such a good choice as that’s not a melting cheese.
Yes, this tart also tastes delicious when served at room temperature or even cold. After baking, the ingredients are no longer raw, they are all cooked and delicious hot, warm, cool or cold.
Store leftover tart slices in an airtight container and refrigerate for about 3-4 days. If you want to eat it warm or hot, place it in the oven to avoid sogginess. Don’t warm it up in the microwave, there will be no flakiness, just a soft and potentially soggy tart.
Other Savory Pies to Try
Enjoy!
Asparagus Tart with Peas and Gruyere
Pin Recipe Facebook Share by TextIngredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 8 ounces green asparagus, 1/2 bundle
- 5 ounces frozen green peas
- 4.5 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 egg, for egg wash
- salt & pepper
- nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Roll the puff pastry on a piece of parchment paper to a 12×12 square, which is about 1/4 in thickness. (NOTE 1)
- Transfer the dough with parchment paper onto a baking sheet and prick the dough with a fork.
- Carefully cut off strips of about 1 inch from each side and set them aside (off the baking sheet, they will be added onto the dough later). (NOTE 2)
- Bake the crust for about 10 minutes or until it starts to turn brown and puffy. Allow to cool. Press the puffed up pastry down.
- Brush the egg wash (whisking the egg with 1/2 tablespoon of water) on the outer 1-inch perimeter of the baked pastry. Top that brushed perimeter with the unbaked strips of dough (the egg wash acts as glue) and brush with egg wash again for a golden color once the tart is baked.
- Cook the asparagus in water with salt for about 3-5 minutes and add the frozen pea the last 2 minutes. Keep some of the asparagus tops aside, as well as some peas; these will become the decorations of the tart.
- Drain the vegetables thoroughly. (NOTE 3 )
- Transfer the well-drained vegetables and shredded cheese into a blender and mix until fine. Add lemon zest, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. (NOTE 4)
- Pour the mixture onto the tart and spread to the edges, not over the edges. Push down a little if you need to (the pastry dough may have puffed up high).
- Decorate the tart with the asparagus top and peas that you kept aside and slide the tart into the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. (NOTE 5)
- Take the tart out of the oven, allow to rest for about 10 minutes and cut in squares.
Notes
- The easy way is to use a store-bought frozen dough is to let it thaw in the fridge overnight on on the day of (check instructions on the packaging. When you start working with the dough make sure it is not too cold (tough to roll) and not too warm (it becomes sticky).
- There is a faster way, if you prefer. Score (not cut) the dough 1 inch around the perimeter and you’ll have a similar effect. The difference is that the outside of the crust will be less high than with the glue on method. And I believe the added strips give a more rustic look.
- Drain the vegetables well; the drier the better. Too much moisture may result in the filling oozing out of the tart at the moment of cutting. This is fine taste-wise, but does not look as elegant as a cut piece with the filling ‘intact’.
- It does not have to be as fine as pesto, a little bite here and there is fine.
- The vegetable cheese mix becomes warm, cheese melts and the dough strips have puffed up and turn a beautiful golden.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.