Asparagus, Bacon, Goat Cheese Tart
Sure to Become One of Your Favorite Savory Puff Pastry Tarts
Oct 9, 2007
Savory tarts are an ideal way to make a simple meal elegant. And nobody has to know how easy they are. In fact, savory tart recipes like this one are made even easier thanks to pre-made puff pastry, available in your local grocery store frozen foods section. If you prefer puff pastry with no trans fats or hydrogenated oils, Whole Foods sells an all-natural frozen puff pastry that is quite tasty, as well.
Fine Cooking magazine is the source for this easy tart recipe, which makes excellent use of asparagus. Somehow the saltiness of the bacon and the creaminess of the goat cheese are excellent foils for the strong flavor of asparagus. And pre-cooking the asparagus mellows the vegetable even more.
Serve this goat cheese tart with a crisp bok choy salad or a nice cup of roasted red pepper tomato soup.
If you like this recipe, you may also be interested in these recipes featuring asparagus: maple roasted asparagus, asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, vegetarian asparagus crepes, and ham and asparagus quiche. And if you like goat cheese, be sure to check out this recipe for goat cheese appetizer tarts.
Although this recipe is relatively high in calories and fat (thanks to the puff pastry), it is also rich in protein, vitamin A, iron and fiber.
Asparagus, Bacon and Goat Cheese Tart
- 1/2 pound frozen puff pastry
- 5 strips turkey bacon
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 pound of raw asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 6 oz. soft, creamy goat cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg white
Directions:
- Remove puff pastry from wrapper and allow to thaw at room temperature for half an hour. Wrap remaining puff pastry in plastic wrap or foil and return to the freezer.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon strips and cook until crisp, turning once. Remove to paper towels to drain. Crumble and set aside.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings. Add the onion to the frying pan and cook, stirring occasionally for about 1 minute. Reduce heat if the onion seems to brown. Add the asparagus pieces to the frying pan. Cook about 5 minutes until softened, but still a bit crisp.
- Roll out puff pastry to a 10 x 16-inch rectangle on a lightly-floured surface. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Press goat cheese into puff pastry with your fingers, leaving a 1-inch border all the way around.
- Top with asparagus and onion mixture. Crumble bacon pieces over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Brush egg white around the border. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 577 calories, 40 g fat (16 g saturated fat), 53 mg cholesterol, 33 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 23 g protein, 29% vitamin A, 13% vitamin C, 16% calcium, 28% iron
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