Springtime Asparagus Tart (with Ham & Mushrooms)

Asparagus Tart will be the lovely star of your springtime brunch between its garlic-laced asparagus and mushrooms, savory ham and Swiss, and flaky, buttery crust!

Springtime Asparagus Tart with Ham and Mushrooms, with text overlay.


 

Back when I was a newlywed, childless, first grade teacher, there was a brief span of time during which I spent my evenings each week making hundreds upon hundreds of cookies to sell the following Saturday at my local Farmers Market. As much as I enjoyed teaching and loved the kids I taught, there was a part of me that felt pulled in the direction of a culinary endeavor. At the same time that I was peddling cookies at the Farmers Market, I was also contributing recipes to the Farmers Market website...and the very first recipe I ever posted there was this lovely Asparagus Tart!

Close-up of Asparagus Tart slice on plate.

Ingredients

When devising what turned out to be my first ever blog recipe (before I even had my own blog!), I recall trying to come up with a seasonal recipe that would scream spring. And what's more spring-like than asparagus?!

While asparagus is undoubtedly a predominant ingredient in this aptly-named Asparagus Tart, let's not allow it to overshadow the other delicious components!

  • Asparagus. Washed and trimmed. I recommend buying asparagus with a medium diameter. If it's too thin, it will overcook and if it's too thick, it may not become tender enough.
  • Mushrooms. Cleaned and thinly sliced. Regular ol' white button mushrooms will work just fine.
  • Extra-virgin olive oil + butter. For sautéing the veggies. EVOO keeps the smoke point down and butter adds flavor, but you could opt to use solely EVOO.
  • Garlic. Minced. This recipe calls for 1 clove, but as an unabashed garlic lover, I always add extra! 😉
  • Pie crust. Store-bought crust is a handy shortcut, but I highly recommend using my Homemade Butter Pie Crust recipe if you can! It's unbelievably easy to make, tender, flaky, and delicious. Once you try it, you'll never go back!
  • Swiss cheese. Shredded and divided. For the most decadent, luxurious Aspargus Tart, be sure to use Gruyére.
  • Ham. Cubed. This is a great recipe for using up leftover ham! Or you could opt to use crispy (cooked) chopped bacon instead.
  • Parlsey. Minced.
  • Eggs, half-and-half, salt, + pepper. For the custard that binds everything together. You may substitute milk for half-and-half, if you'd like to lighten things up a bit.
Asparagus Tart close-up of crust.

How to Make an Asparagus Tart

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

  1. First prep the pie crust. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your pastry into a 13-inch circle. Press it onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (which makes this recipe feel a little fancier than a regular ol' quiche!). Trim the edges of the crust and place it in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to chill.
Easy pie crust recipe rolled out.
  1. Blind-bake your pie crust (step-by-step directions in recipe card). When it comes out of the oven, sprinkle some cheese into the bottom, which will melt into a layer to further prevent the crust from getting soggy.
  2. Trim the tough ends from the asparagus and discard. Trim off the tops of the asparagus spears and set aside. Cut the remaining asparagus stalks into ¾-inch pieces.
  3. Heat EVOO and butter in a skillet until melted. Sauté asparagus pieces and mushrooms, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté for a couple minutes more or until the asparagus is crisp-tender and the liquid has evaporated.
  4. Place the asparagus-mushroom mixture into the crust. 
Sauteed asparagus and mushrooms filling pie crust in pan.
  1. Add the ham and parsley on top.
  2. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper.
Whisking eggs in glass bowl.
  1. Pour the eggs over the other ingredients in the crust. Arrange the reserved asparagus tops over the egg mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Ham and eggs added to pan.
  1. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet (lined with foil to make clean-up easier). Bake for 30 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean and the edges of the crust are a light golden brown.
Aerial view of Asparagus Tart fresh out of oven.
  1. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before loosening from the tart pan and slicing. Enjoy!

Can you believe it?!

You made a scrumptious, beautiful Asparagus Tart, bursting with color and texture and -- oh yeah -- vibrant spring veggies!

Aerial view of Asparagus Tart on plate and in pan.

As with many of the recipes that I cook, my kids are often the barometer of success in my kitchen. And the first time I ever made this Asparagus Tart, upon biting into his slice, my middle child's sweet, enthusiastic, then-4-year-old voice piped up, "Mama! I suuuuure do enjoy your dinner."

That, my friends, is called score one for Mama. 😉

Aerial view of Asparagus Tart recipe.

I think this Asparagus Tart would be lovely whether you enjoy it for brunch, lunch, or a light supper.

It's excellent warm from the oven, or it's perfectly tasty at room temperature.

And it's just the thing to balance out all of those Farmers Market cookies. 😉

Asparagus Tart on plate and in pan.

More Tasty Asparagus Dishes

Asparagus Tart with mushrooms, ham, and Swiss cheese.

Springtime Asparagus Tart (with Ham and Mushrooms)

Asparagus Tart will be the lovely star of your springtime brunch between its garlic-laced asparagus and mushrooms, savory ham and Swiss, and flaky, buttery crust!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Chilling Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 343kcal
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh asparagus, washed and trimmed
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 Homemade Butter Pie Crust, OR store-bought 9-inch pie crust
  • 1 cup shredded Gruyére OR Swiss cheese, DIVIDED
  • 1 cup cubed ham
  • ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
  • 4 eggs
  • ¾ cup half-and-half OR milk
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 13-inch circle. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom; trim edges. Place crust in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to chill.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove crust from refrigerator and prick all over with a fork. Press foil into bottom and up sides of crust, covering edges. Fill foil with pie weights, dry (uncooked) beans, or dry (uncooked) rice. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove weights and foil and sprinkle with ½ cup cheese (which will melt and create a layer to further prevent crust from getting soggy).
  • While crust is baking, trim 2 inches from the top of each asparagus spear; set tops aside. Trim 1-inch from the tough ends of the spears and discard. Cut remaining stems into ¾-inch pieces.
  • Coat the bottom of a 12-inch skillet with oil and butter and heat over medium-high. Sauté asparagus pieces and mushrooms for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes more or until asparagus is crisp-tender and liquid has evaporated.
  • Place the asparagus-mushroom mixture, ham, and parsley on top of cheese at bottom of crust. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper; pour into crust. Arrange reserved asparagus tops over egg mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • Place tart pan on a rimmed, foil-wrapped baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean and edges of crust are light golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the edges of the crust. Lift the center of pan to release the tart and then slice. Serve warm or at room temperature. Tightly cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Equipment Needed

Notes

  • Pre-baking (or "blind baking") the pie crust is necessary to prevent the egg mixture from making it soggy.
  • You may substitute crispy chopped bacon for the ham if you wish.
  • Gruyere is a type of Swiss cheese and highly recommended for its decadent flavor. However, you may use regular Swiss or substitute your favorite type of shredded cheese instead.

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 664mg | Potassium: 417mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1198IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 244mg | Iron: 3mg
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Recipe Rating




15 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this for book club last night and 3 people asked for the recipe lol. I am making it again for Easter. It's perfect for spring!

  2. 5 stars
    The buttery crust pairs perfectly with the filling. I love how creamy the Gruyère cheese turned out. So good!

  3. Not to be nitpicky but this is a quiche; it is not a tart. A tart is a turnover that has fruits or meats and vegetables in it. It is like a hot pocket.

    1. Thanks so much for the enlightenment, David. I make this recipe in a tart pan and I have seen cooking magazines and cookbooks refer to similar recipes as tarts, so I am fine with being historically inaccurate if modern cooks appear to have embraced an updated definition. 🙂

  4. 5 stars
    Yum, this sure was delicious Samantha!! I need to make more tarts, especially healthy ones like this one. 🙂

  5. Samantha, loving this recipe. I can bet my boys would really enjoy this. The older they get, the better their taste buds get. Strange how that is, isn't it? So funny you mention about the part of having a bakery but having to start work at the wee hours before the crack of dawn... really is why I shut my idea down, too! I'm a morning person, but that's a lot of demand! Love how you shared the little story about you! Hope you're having a fun weekend with your family!

    1. Thanks so much, Gloria! I think it's totally normal for taste buds to become more adventurous with age. I know that's true for me, even now! It seems like each year I acquire new tastes for foods I didn't enjoy before. And I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one who gave up the dream of a bakery because customers would actually want to buy breakfast items, you know, early in the morning! 😉 There's not enough coffee in Texas for me to get up at 3 a.m. to start baking! 😛 I'm happy you stopped by and I hope you have a great week ahead!

    1. I'm so happy to hear that, Mariah! It's a great use of leftover ham...and even leftover asparagus, if you've got any. 🙂

  6. This looks delicious - all my favorite things in one dish!!! Definitely pinning this recipe to try on the family.