She Strengthens

Spring Asparagus Quiche: A Brunch Showstopper

This stunning quiche is sure to impress your guests at your next brunch or supper buffet. The secret to its beauty lies in its whole asparagus spears, perfectly arranged in a flaky all-butter tart shell.

The Perfect Pastry Crust

To create this masterpiece, you’ll need to start with a rectangular tart pan and a French technique called fraisage. This involves smearing egg-sized portions of dough across your work surface to create a very flaky pastry. The result is a crust that’s both tender and crispy.

Gather Your Ingredients

For the crust, you’ll need:

• 8 ounces all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water

For the filling, you’ll need:

• 12 ounces fresh asparagus spears
• 14 ounces whole ricotta cheese
• 3 large eggs
• 3 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Make the Crust

Combine flour and salt in a food processor, then add butter and pulse until it’s in pea-size pieces. Drizzle in ice water and pulse again, adding more if the dough seems too dry. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and use the fraisage technique to create a flaky pastry. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Roll Out the Crust

Heat your oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Roll out the chilled dough into a rectangle measuring 14 inches by 10 inches and approximately 1/4 inch thick. Line a 7-inch-by-11-inch rectangular tart pan with the dough, trimming excess dough from the edges. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.

Bake the Crust

Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, then line it with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until set and light brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper and continue baking until the crust is dry to the touch, about 10 minutes more. Let cool slightly before adding the filling.

Prepare the Filling

Heat your oven to 400°F. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears and peel the stalks using a very sharp vegetable peeler. Whisk together the ricotta, eggs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning or thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until smooth.

Assemble and Bake

Arrange half the asparagus spears in the tart shell, laying them all in one direction from top to bottom. Scrape about three quarters of the ricotta mixture over the asparagus, taking care that the spears are evenly covered and the mixture is spread out to the tart edges. Arrange the remaining asparagus on top in the opposite direction of the spears below. Add the remaining ricotta mixture and spread it evenly. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

This quiche is sure to be a hit at your next gathering, with its stunning presentation and delicious flavors. So go ahead, give it a try, and impress your friends and family with your culinary skills!