Asparagus Quiche with Fontina Cheese Recipe

Name: Asparagus Quiche With Fontina Cheese
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 9-inch pie crust , chilled for 30 minutes and ready to roll out; Flour (for sprinkling); 1 pound (445 g) fresh asparagus; 1/4 pound Fontina cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes; 4 large eggs, lightly beaten in a large bowl; 1 cup heavy cream; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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There’s a bakery near my house in Boston that makes a quiche with the most wonderful smooth and creamy filling. Every time I ask the owner for her recipe, she shrugs and says something about having made it this way forever. She has no intention of telling me more.

But I figured it out! If you want an exceptionally creamy filling in quiche, use all heavy cream.

That might seem obvious, but in all my quiches before this, I used either a mix of cream and milk or all half-and-half, and it was never quite right.

I've found that you also need to pay attention to the egg-to-cream ratio: 1/4 cup of cream per egg is just right. I now make my quiches by beating four eggs with a single cup of heavy cream.

In the spring when asparagus is at its peak, I add blanched spears and tiny cubes of Fontina cheese to my quiche. It's one of my favorite combinations!

I like to make quiche in a traditional white porcelain tart pan (my classic 9 1/2-inch pan with 1 1/2-inch-high sides has a 1-quart capacity). I think the pastry turns especially flaky when baked in porcelain. You can also use a French fluted pan with a removable base, or a regular glass or metal pie pan.

If your pie pan holds a greater capacity than 1-quart, add more liquid using the ratio of 1 egg per 1/4 cup heavy cream.

I like to slice the quiche into thin little wedges when I have guests for brunch. This way, the tart can serve six with other dishes on the table. See if this recipe becomes your new favorite quiche, too!

Asparagus Quiche With Fontina Cheese

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Chilling 60 mins

Total Time 2 hrs 10 mins

Servings 4 to 6 servings

1 9-inch pie crust, chilled for 30 minutes and ready to roll out
Flour (for sprinkling)
1 pound (445g) fresh asparagus
1/4 pound Fontina cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
4 large eggs, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Roll out the pie crust:

Roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured counter to an 11-inch round, moving it often to prevent it from sticking.

Lift it onto the rolling pin and gently ease it into a 9 1/2 or 10-inch porcelain tart pan. Press the dough all around the bottom edge so it sticks to the pan. With scissors, cut the pastry around the top edge so it has an even 1-inch overhang.
Crimp the dough:

Tuck the overhang inside the pan all around, like a hem. Crimp the top edge with your fingers.
Chill the pie crust:

Set the pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour. (At this point, you can freeze it overnight, loosely covered; if you want to freeze for up to 1 month, wrap tightly after the crust is frozen).
Blind bake the pie crust:

Heat the oven to 375°F. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Line the dough with parchment paper or crumpled foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the top edge of the pastry is beginning to take on some color. Lift off the paper or foil and beans, and set aside. Return the pie crust to the oven and continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the bottom of the dough is beginning to cook through. If the dough forms puffs, prick them with the tip of a knife.

Set on a wire rack to cool. Leave the oven on.

Sheryl Julian
Prepare the asparagus:

Snap off the dry and woody part of the spears near the base, where they break without much effort. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute. Drain and transfer the asparagus to ice water to cool.

Dry the asparagus with paper towels. Set aside 3 asparagus tips to garnish the quiche. Halve the remaining pieces lengthwise.

Sheryl Julian
Finish the filling:

Scatter the blanched asparagus (not the tips) and Fontina over the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Thoroughly stir the cream into the eggs, add salt and pepper, and pour the egg mixture over the asparagus and cheese.

Sheryl Julian
Bake the quiche:

Return the pan to the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is set all over and the top is starting to brown. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve:

Garnish the top of the quiche with the reserved asparagus tips before serving.

The quiche can be served immediately, or once cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Quiche can be served cold, room temperature, or warm. (If serving warm, heat in a 300°F oven until just warm to the touch.)

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
552	Calories
38g	Fat
38g	Carbs
16g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	552
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g	49%
Saturated Fat 19g	93%
Cholesterol 191mg	64%
Sodium 636mg	28%
Total Carbohydrate 38g	14%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 16g
Vitamin C 6mg	30%
Calcium 178mg	14%
Iron 3mg	17%
Potassium 327mg	7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.