When asparagus finally makes its springtime debut, this tart is always one of the first things I make. It’s a deceptively easy dish that looks impressive but takes you almost no time at all, so I love to serve it when friends come over. And, believe me, it’s always a hit – because who doesn’t love the combination of flaky puff pastry and cheese? In this case, those things form a bed to showcase tender, delicious asparagus – one of the finest things that spring has to offer!

Thanks to a pre-made sheet of puff pastry and a mere handful of easy-to-find ingredients, this really couldn’t be much simpler to make. Once your sheet of puff pastry has thawed enough to use, all you need to do is roll it out a bit and then score around the edges lightly with the tip of a knife. About a half of an inch is enough of a border and it helps the edges rise up to give you a defined crust while the center remains as more of a base for you filling.

And that filling… oh my, is it delicious! It’s simply goat cheese that’s mixed with a bit of creme fraiche, garlic powder, thyme, and egg as a binder and then spread over the center of the puff pastry. The asparagus lines up over that and gets topped off with some Parmesan before it all heads into the oven and the crust gets puffy and flaky and the rest gets bubbly and tender. (If you have very thick asparagus, just cut them in half lengthwise so they’ll cook through in time.)