Serves 6
500g Paneton flaky puff pastry, thawed from frozen
1 small egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp cold water for egg wash
Filling:
250g Zany Zeus ricotta
3 Tbsp Sabato dill & almond pesto
1 large egg
20g finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padana
Sal de Añana spring salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 bunches (500g) asparagus
Pons Organic extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
3 Tbsp Pinoli pine nuts
Vincotto originale to serve
Preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan. Unroll the pastry onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and trim length to fit, if necessary. Using a small sharp knife, gently score a 2cm border around the edge of the pastry and prick the base of the pastry that lies within the border all over with a fork. Brush the edges with egg wash. Bake for 10 minutes, turning once for even browning.
Remove the pastry from the oven and use a clean tea towel to press down the central part, which will have puffed up during this initial cooking.
For the filling, beat the ricotta and pesto together in a bowl until smooth then beat in the egg and Parmigiano to just combine and season with salt and pepper. Carefully spread the ricotta mixture to fully cover the central base of the tart, leaving the frame free of filling.
Trim the asparagus spears to a length that will fit within the frame and arrange on top of the ricotta filling. Brush asparagus lightly with EVO and scatter with the pine nuts.
Bake in the lower part of the oven to ensure that the underside browns and cooks properly for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot or warm, drizzled with vincotto.
Recipe by Julie Le Clerc
