Deep-filled asparagus & mascarpone tartlets
Deep-filled asparagus & mascarpone tartlets requires around 1 hour and 10 minutes from start to finish. For $1.02 per serving, you get a hor d'oeuvre that serves 12. Watching your figure? This lacto ovo vegetarian recipe has 370 calories, 8g of protein, and 28g of fat per serving. If you have goat's cheese, asparagus spears, mascarpone, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it. If you like this recipe, take a look at these similar recipes: Mascarpone and Prune Tartlets, Strawberry Tartlets With Mascarpone Cream, and Coconut Tartlets with Poached Pineapple and Mascarpone Cream.
Instructions
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 pieces, roughly 8cm square. Use each piece to line the holes of a 12-hole muffin tin and use a ball of trimmings to press the pastry right down into the corners.
Press a large piece of foil over the tin and down into the holes, then fill each with baking beans.
Bake for 15 mins until puffed up and golden, then remove the foil and cook for 10 mins more. Dont worry if the pastry puffs right up.
Meanwhile, trim the asparagus and separate the stalks from the tips. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, cook the stalks for 6 mins, then fish them out and place in a bowl of iced water. When cold, drain them again. Cook the tips separately for 3 mins, then place in the iced water.
Put the stalks, mascarpone and eggs into a small bowl, season generously with salt and pepper, then use a hand blender to blitz everything to a frothy green custard.
Use a spoon to push the pastry back down into the holes and fill each with the custard. Drop an asparagus tip into each, then crumble over the goats cheese. Return the tarts to the oven for 10-15 mins until the custard has puffed up and set. Leave to cool before removing from the tins.
Recommended wine: Cream Sherry, Moscato Dasti, Port
Tartlet works really well with Cream Sherry, Moscato d'Asti, and Port. A common wine pairing rule is to make sure your wine is sweeter than your food. Delicate desserts go well with Moscato d'Asti, nutty desserts with cream sherry, and caramel or chocolate desserts pair well with port. The NV Johnson Estate Cream Sherry with a 5 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 19 dollars per bottle.
NV Johnson Estate Cream Sherry
Very aromatic with notes of hazelnut, vanilla, and a touch of oak followed by sweet raisins and a touch of yeast. Clean lasting finish. Good now but will reward those allow it to age"". A favorite pre-prandial beverage. Consider it with nuts before dinner as an aperitif, or after dinner with dessert, especially chocolates and fruit-based desserts. Also wonderful on cold afternoons, served with biscotti to dip in ""Italian-style"". "