Ingredients

1 sheet (14 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed

All-purpose flour, for dusting

1 large egg, well beaten

10 medium asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed, shaved into thin strips using a vegetable peeler

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface, just until creases are smooth. Trim dough to a 10-inch square. Lightly score a 1/2-inch border around dough. Brush off excess flour and transfer dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze 15 minutes.

Brush border of dough with the beaten egg. Bake until puffed and starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Toss asparagus with the oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Remove tart shell from oven and press down on the center with a spatula. Arrange asparagus on top. Bake until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese evenly on top. Bake until cheese is melted, about 4 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack 5 minutes before slicing into squares.