Asparagus Gruyere Tart

Mmmm asparagus and cheese! I found this recipe a while ago and stashed it in my recipes folder for a warmer day. Well, warmer days have arrived finally and out came this tart. Easy, yet delicious. With more skill on my part, it could be quite gorgeous. I'm hoping to have a small dinner party in a few weeks, and this has a good chance of showing up on the menu.

Asparagus Gruyere Tart:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
2 cups shredded Gruyere (this is about 5-7 oz)
1 to 1 1/2 pounds asparagus
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400.
Roll the pastry sheet into a 16X12 rectangle. I take a bit of issue with this exact measurement; roll it out to fit the pan you're using. I used a jelly-roll pan, because that's all I have. Continuing on, once you've got it rolled out to the proper side, trim the edges so they are nice and straight. With a sharp knife, score the dough an inch from the edges to create a rectangle. Use a fork to poke holes every 1/2 inch. Bake for 10-15 minutes. WATCH carefully. Mine baked for 15 minutes while I worked on something else and was so overdone that I had to throw it out and start over. Watch carefully. Cook only until it's lightly golden and slightly puffed.
Once the pastry has cooked a bit, remove it from the oven. Sprinkle the cheese within the scored rectangle. Trim the asparagus to fit the pastry, then lay it alternating tip to end. (See picture).
Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and ground pepper.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Again, be careful. I watched mine, focusing on the color of the pastry. Once it was golden, I turned the temperature down to 200F. Once the pastry was dark golden, I removed it. I think I ended up cooking mine for 15 minutes; the asparagus was perfectly tender.

I gave hubby a piece of this to try and he ravaged it, then went back for seconds and took about half the tart. I would almost equate it to a comfort food, what with the pastry and copious cheese. The asparagus makes you think you're being healthy. It's delicious.