Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Ricotta and Goat Cheese Asparagus Tart

Side Dishes

Of all the specialty baking pans stuffed into my overflowing kitchen cupboards, my tart pan emerges the most often. I often feel sorry for some of my underutilized dishes (ahem, not that I’ve actually never used my year old mini cheesecake or bundt pans or anything like that….), but I really like how a humble recipe can be elevated to something special enough to serve to company simply by using a tart pan. This creation is certainly no exception. I’ve been thinking about making a light ricotta and goat cheese asparagus tart all winter and immediately scooped a huge bunch of asparagus into my shopping cart when it became in season so I could put this plan into action.

The filling of the tart is a lovely mixture of ricotta, goat cheese, lemon zest, and asparagus, but the chickpea crust, an oldie but goodie that I originally created a couple years ago now, is what makes it special. By pulsing chickpeas, whole wheat flour, olive oil, and a bit of lemon zest in the food processor, I made a flavorful soft chickpea dough that bakes up beautifully. It compliments the filling nicely and is pretty healthy too. I can’t wait to serve this at a dinner party!

Ricotta and Goat Cheese Asparagus Tart
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Tart Crust:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt

Tart Filling:
15 ounces ricotta cheese
8 ounces goat cheese
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces thinly sliced asparagus

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Pulse chickpeas, flour, olive oil, lemon zest, and salt in a food processor until soft dough forms. Spread dough evenly over the greased tart pan. Bake the crust for 20 minutes at 350˚F or until light golden brown.

Meanwhile, mix ricotta cheese, goat cheese, egg, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in asparagus and spread mixture evenly into partially baked crust. Bake an additional 45 minutes at 350˚F or until filling is set. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan, and cut into wedges. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 317 calories, 5.5g fat, 4.6g fiber, 17.7g protein per serving
Cost: $1.24 per serving

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