Asparagus Torta Recipes

FONTINA ASPARAGUS TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, bring 1 in. of water to a boil; add asparagus. Cook, covered, until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain and pat dry., On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry sheet into a 16x12-in. rectangle. Transfer to a parchment-lined large baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes., Sprinkle 1-1/2 cups cheese over pastry to within 1/2-in. of edges. Place asparagus over top; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Mix remaining ingredients; drizzle over top. Bake until cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.

ASPARAGUS AND CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a large skillet. Add the asparagus; cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Drain and transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking; drain and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Roll out the puff pastry into a 10-by-16-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Bake until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, mix the fontina, comte, shallot, egg yolks, milk, nutmeg and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a bowl until combined. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange the asparagus on the tart and bake until the cheese mixture is slightly puffy, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the lemon zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ASPARAGUS GRUYERE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
• Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

ASPARAGUS AND TOMATO TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the frozen pie crust onto a baking sheet. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and bake for 10 minutes.
• Saute the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel. Add onion and asparagus tips to the skillet with the bacon fat and saute until tender, approximately 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl whisk together ricotta, milk and eggs. Add parsley, half the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add asparagus and onion mixture and combine well. Pour egg mixture into the prepared crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until filling has set and the tart is lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• In a small bowl, toss the remaining tomatoes with the basil, balsamic vinegar and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Serve as garnish for tart.

WONDERFUL ASPARAGUS TORTA

Steps:

• Trim the tough ends from the asparagus, lay it in a stainless saute pan, pour over 1/2 inch boiling water, add 1/2 teaspoons salt, cover and place over medium high.
• Let simmer until the asparagus is tender when pierced with a fork.
• Remove and let cool on paper towels.
• Generously butter a 14-inch pizza pan, or flat baking dish.
• Remove the crusts from the bread and arrange the slices all over the bottom of the pan.
• Lay the prosciutto or black forest ham on top of the bread.
• In a small bowl, mix the yolks and cream with pepper and nutmeg.
• Pour this over the bread.
• Place over this a thin layer of fontina.
• Bake the torta in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove the torta from the oven, and arrange the asparagus over the cheese layer, in a spoke fashion.
• Top with the remaining fontina.
• At this point, the torta may sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.
• When ready to serve, return the torta to a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden.
• Makes 8 servings.