Asparagus and Ricotta Tart is an excellent appetizer recipe, a yummy vegetarian dish, crunchy and crumbly on the outside but creamy and soft on the inside!
Asparagus and Ricotta Tart is a savory pie, perfect to take with you on picnics out of town during the first warm spring days or for a dinner with friends or when you simply want something very tasty.
There are many varieties of asparagus that differ according to color and place of cultivation. The most famous and widespread variety is the green one, with a sweet strong flavour, which we used in this recipe.
You can make Asparagus and Ricotta Tart as an alternative to the traditional Torta Pasqualina, made with chard, ricotta and eggs. The recipes with asparagus are the protagonists of spring and Easter lunches; they go perfectly with eggs and cheeses.
The procedure for making Asparagus and Ricotta Tart is really simple and involves a few simple steps. Let’s see them together!
Try also other fantastic Italian appetizers such as: Tomato focaccia recipe and Easter cheese bread recipe
Asparagus and Ricotta Tart Recipe
- Prep Time:30 Min
- Cook Time: 25 Min
- Yields:6
Ingredients
Doses for a round cake pan with a diameter of 20 cm (8 inch)
- 500 g (1,1 lb) of Asparagus
- 300 g (10,5 oz) of ricotta cheese
- 120 g (4 oz) of parmigiano reggiano
- 3 whole medium eggs
- 1 sheet of puff pastry (about 40 cm/16 inch in diameter)
- a pinch of fine salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 70 ml of milk
Kitchen Tools and Equipment
For cooking asparagus is very useful the Asparagus Steamer Pot. With this kitchen tool you can cook asparagus vertically, with their tip out. This is the most tender part and has a shorter cooking time. This way the cooking is more uniform and the asparagus will be tastier. Since they steam, they retain all their properties.
Directions
Step 1) – To start preparing the ricotta and asparagus tart, you must first trim the asparagus. So remove the longest and hardest part of the stem and wash them thoroughly under running cold water.
Step 2) – Once trimmed and washed, cook the asparagus. Boil or steam them for about 20 minutes. Better if you use the special asparagus pot (as in this recipe), which will allow you to cook your asparagus vertically and therefore have a homogeneous cooking between the end part and the tips that are more tender.
Step 3) – While asparagus are cooking, start making the filling. In a large bowl, beat the whole eggs with a pinch of fine salt and ground black pepper. Add the well-drained ricotta and mix well with a whisk until the mixture is creamy. Finally add the grated Parmigiano and mix thoroughly to combine.
Step 4) – Now place the asparagus on a cutting board. Cut the stem into small pieces and set the tips aside. Add the pieces of asparagus to the egg and ricotta mixture and stir.
Step 5) – Now roll out the puff pastry onto a round tart pan lined with parchment paper. Pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork, so that the puff pastry does not swell during cooking. Pour the mixture on the puff pastry.
Step 6)– With a spoon level the surfice, then decorate with the tips of the asparagus, placed in a radial pattern or however you like! Brush with a little milk the edge of the dough folded inside.
Step 7) – Cook Asparagus and Ricotta tart in preheated oven at 180 ° C (350 F) for about 30 minutes. Let asparagus and ricotta tart cool before cutting and serving. Enjoy!
Storage
Ricotta and asparagus savory pie can be kept for up to a couple of days in the refrigerator. If you serve it at room temperature, leave it out of the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving, or put it in a traditional oven for a few minutes so that it comes back as hot as just made.
Asparagus and Ricotta Tart: Variations and Tips
Here some variations and tips of this recipe:
- To enrich and decorate your Asparagus and Ricotta Tart, and make it more suitable for Easter lunches, you can add slices of hard-boiled egg after cooking.
- For a non-vegetarian variant and to add more flavor and color to this recipe, you can add diced Bacon or Parma ham to the egg and ricotta filling.
- If you prepare your Asparagus and Ricotta tart for a picnic in the open air, we advise you to prefer the rectangular shape and cover the tart with another sheet of puff pastry. In this way, once cooled, it will be easier to cut into portions and more comfortable to eat with your hands sitting on a lawn, because the two sheets contain the filling better.
Asparagus: the best Italian varieties
In Italy there are many varieties of asparagus, divided according to color and to place of cultivation.
The most famous and widespread variety in Italy is the green one, which we used in this recipe. The common green asparagus with a sweet and strong flavor, spread from Emilia Romagna to Campania up to Puglia. Green asparagus is medium-sized and appreciated for risotto, omelettes and side dishes. In particular, the Green Asparagus from Altedo in Emilia stands out for its quality.
White asparagus are grown mainly in Veneto and Lombardy. They are large, delicate and very soft, it’s the only one that has no waste. It’s eaten in its entire length and is considered the most valuable. The most famous white asparagus are those from Bassano and from Cimadolmo in Veneto.
Violet asparagus are typical of Liguria. In particular the violet asparagus from Albenga (SAVONA), which has a delicate aroma and sweet taste.
