When I think asparagus, I think of the little suburban neighborhood in northeast Germany that I once lived in, and the little stands that would pop up all over with stalks of “Spargel” (the word for asparagus in German) in the spring. I called it sparkle for fun flair and because it had (still has) a way of drawing in crowds and crowds obsessed over it. Both in white and green, asparagus has a chokehold obsession grasp over German people and culture in the springtime, and that grasp found its way into my heart each time it begins warming up after winter. Over the years, I’ve needed to find ways to make it really shine in the spotlight, and this easy Asparagus puff pastry has become a favorite.
It starts with a ricotta and pea base that is honestly good enough to eat on its own. Creamy, a little grassy sweet from the peas, and brightened with lemon, dill, garlic, and my favorite…nutritional yeast! It’s not heavy nor bland, but it’s not going to overwhelm and overtake the flavor away from the true star of the dish. Which is perfect, because we want something you can’t find at any old grocery store or something too familiar, and so this brings the perfect balance between pleasant surprise and classic vegetable tart base.
What you can find at any old grocery store though is the puff pastry sheets, in which I absolutely just buy. A past version of me used to only make these from scratch, but it’s really not worth the effort every single time (unless you want to, in which I say go for it if you want to!). Just do yourself the kindness and give yourself some grace as you buy it from frozen and thaw it, roll it out a little and call it a day on a baking sheet.
And with that, this assembly process comes together easily. Puff pastry > spoon on ricotta pea base > layer asparagus however you see fit on top. Then, pop it in the oven. One quick note – keep the ricotta base layer thin; if its piled on densely, it could impact how your puff pastry crisps up (and we want it to be nice and crips at the end of this, especially in the center).
This puff pastry is very doable, but still gives off elevated energy. It works as an appetizer, a party food, a snack you bring to a friends or a low effort dinner. And it makes sparkle, well, sparkle!
Asparagus Puff Pastry with Ricotta, Pea, Lemon & Dill
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Food processor or blender
- Mixing bowl
- Knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
For the Puff Pastry
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed
- 1 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Ricotta Pea Base
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup green peas fresh or frozen, thawed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- Black pepper to taste
To Finish
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped (alternatively, you could use chopped chives)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- Hot honey for drizzling
- Flaky salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the puff pastry slightly if needed and place it on the baking sheet. Score a ½-inch border around the edges using a knife, being careful not to cut all the way through. Dock the center with a fork.
- In a food processor, combine ricotta, peas, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, dill, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth but still slightly textured. Taste and adjust salt or lemon as needed.
- Spread the ricotta pea mixture evenly over the center of the puff pastry, staying within the scored border.
- Toss the trimmed asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange them over the ricotta mixture in a single layer.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and puffed and the asparagus is tender with lightly crisp edges.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Top with chopped dill and parsley, drizzle with hot honey, and finish with flaky salt if using. Slice and serve warm.
Notes
Don’t overload the base; a thin, even layer prevents sogginess.
Adjust lemon juice to your taste depending on how bright you want the filling.
Hot honey adds a sweet heat contrast, but you can skip or swap for regular honey or a chili oil drizzle.