Asparagus and Lemon Ricotta Tart

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the thawed puff pastry onto the baking tray and poke the pastry all over with a fork. Blind bake (pre-bake to keep the bottom crisp) for 10minutes and let cool before using.

While the puff pastry is blind baking, prepare the asparagus. Boil some water in a large pot and chop off the woody ends of the asparagus. Place the asparagus in the boiling water for 2 minutes and then take it out and submerge it into cold icy water. Place the asparagus on a colander and set aside.

Prepare the ricotta topping. Into a large bowl, place the ricotta, egg, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup parmesan, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk together. (You need to keep 1/4 cup of parmesan for topping the finished tart)

Once the puff pastry has cooled, spread the ricotta topping evenly on top of the puff pastry but leave a thin border. Arrange the asparagus on top.

Using a pastry brush, brush some olive oil on the border of the tart. This will help the crust become golden. Brush the tops of the asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put it back into the oven at the same temperature and bake for a further 13-15 minutes or until the pastry appears golden brown.

Once out of the oven, sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and serve immediately. When cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge and heat in the oven before serving again.