Asparagus Tart with Cottage Cheese

It's ramp season and asparagus season here in the Garden State.

I was a good girl and made a batch of ramp pesto and ramp butter for the freezer.

With my local asparagus, I have been eating them almost daily, every which way.

It's now or never.

Here, I made a simple lunch tart using frozen puff pastry....and instead of ricotta cheese, I used my beloved COTTAGE CHEESE.    Don't be scared.

Cottage cheese has more protein and is lower in fat vs ricotta, and I always seem to have it in the house, so I used it here, and I am not sorry.   

It was delicious.  

Here is how I made it.   Happy spring.

1 sheet of defrosted puff pastry, rolled out with a rolling pin

handful of asparagus (if your stalks are fat, then cut them in half, lenghthwise)

8 oz. of cottage cheese

1 egg

handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano

tbsp of ramp pesto (basil pesto is fine!)

salt & pepper

additional egg for the egg wash

everything bagel seasoning

Mix the cottage cheese with the egg, parm, and pesto.

Roll our the defrosted pastry, keeping it cool, onto a piece of parchment paper.

Lay the parchment paper with the puff pastry on a baking sheet.

Spread the cottage cheese mixture and spread it around, leaving a border so you can fold the pastry over the edges.

Next, lay the halved asparagus spears on top and fold over the pastry edges to create a border frame.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle on the everything bagel spice.  You can use sesame seeds, if you like.

Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 25 minutes.  

The tart will puff up then deflate.   Let cool and slice into 4 pieces, serve with a salad.

Yum.

The Tart Queen still wears her crown proudly.