Asparagus & Bacon Tart

Like all puff pastry tarts, this is so quick and easy to put together and absolutely delicious served hot or cold. If you’re looking for a tasty and impressive dish to serve at your next brunch then look no further than this delicious asparagus, bacon, and cheese tart.

This savoury tart is filled with a mixture of pesto, leek, bacon, cheese and topped with tender asparagus spears for a fresh, seasonal twist. We love this for a quick and easy brunch option and it can be easily adapted to include different veggies or even crack a few eggs to really capture that weekend brunch vibe.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of puff pastry, ready to roll out
• Bunch of asparagus, tough ends trimmed
• 4-5 slices of streaky smoked bacon
• 1 leek, washed and sliced
• 150g grated cheese (such as Gruyere or cheddar)
• 2 tbsp pesto
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and unroll it out to a rectangle that is about 2cm thick. Transfer the pastry to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or bake-o-glide.
3. Use a knife to score a border around the pastry, about 1/2 inch from the edges, being careful not to cut all the way through. Prick the inside of the border all over with a fork. At this point you can blind bake the pastry for 8 minutes or so to get a nice crispy base, but it does also work to bake it once completed without blind baking.
4. In a frying / sauté pan, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. In the same pan, add the leeks and fry off over a low heat until softened.
5. In the centre section of the tart, add the leek first, then dollops of the pesto, add the bacon and asparagus and top with cheese.
6. Bake the tart for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
7. Let the tart cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Images: HM