Asparagus puff pastries for a light meal

These asparagus puff pastries are made using readymade puff pastries for convenience. You can also use readymade crescent rolls and roll them in a different way. They will still be deliciously simple whichever method you use.

A word about readymade puff pastry: Defrost it in the fridge. You don’t want it to get too warm, just warm enough to roll otherwise it won’t puff up well.

Feel free to use this technique to create a whole range of delightfully savory pastries.

Ingredients – 4

• 6 tbsp mascarpone
• 40g (or vegetarian alternative), grated Gran Moravia or similar vegetarian Parmesan cheese , plus extra shavings to serve
• 3 tbsp finely chopped basil
• zest ½ lemon
• 375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry , quartered (then cut to the length of the asparagus)
• 350g asparagus spears
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• For serving: a good handful pretty salad leaves , such as rocket, basil, frisée and little red chard, tossed in vinaigrette

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Mix the mascarpone with the Parmesan, basil and lemon zest, then season.
2. Lift the pastry onto 2 trays, then score around the edges of each piece to make a thin border. Spread the cheese mixture within the borders.
3. Toss the asparagus in the oil, then arrange the bundles on top of the pastry (these can be stacked a bit for height). Bake the pastries for 20-25 mins until golden, then serve warm topped with the dressed salad leaves and a few shavings of Parmesan.

Sweet flakey pastry made with cream cheese.