Asparagus and Pancetta Quiche is rich and flavorful, and get this: It’s easy to make as part of an amazing meal. I used prepackaged pie dough (I told you it was easy to make) and loaded up on a springtime favorite veggie, asparagus.
An Asparagus and Pancetta Quiche is where it’s at for the spring season. Whether you have leftover ham to use from the holiday weekend, or you’re starting from scratch and using pancetta, this is one dish that has it all.
This easy quiche is a cinch in the kitchen. Aside from about a 40-minute bake time, you’ll find this a fuss-free dish, especially since I’ve used prepackaged pie dough for the crust.
For me, asparagus is a veggie that makes its presence known on Easter. In my family, an asparagus frittata is part of an Easter morning meal. And why not? Once spring has sprung, this veggie is fabulous for so many different dishes. Consider using it to make my Grilled Asparagus, Prosciutto and Brie Bruschetta or try it in my meatless Asparagus and Sweet Potato Lasagna.
What’s The Difference Between Quiches and Frittatas?
Granted quiches and frittatas are closely related thanks to their egg-y goodness, but they have their differences.
- Quiche is a French dish and frittatas are Italian.
- Quiche is made using a crust and frittatas forego the pastry shell.
- Quiche is baked and takes more time to cook. Frittatas are cooked on the stove and only take several minutes to cook.
Give your hand a try with my Zucchini-Thyme Frittata for Two. It’s an easy and filling meal for any time of day.
Asparagus and Pancetta Quiche
For this Asparagus and Pancetta Quiche, you could replace pancetta with bacon or even leftover ham from your holiday meal. I’d suggest cooking your choice of meat first, before adding it to the quiche.
I used Swiss cheese for this recipe, which gave this quiche some indulgence, and a shallot for its flavor (a little more mild than tossing in an onion, which you could certainly use if you don’t have a shallot).
In addition, you could use homemade pie dough for this quiche (try my dad’s pie dough recipe I’ve shared: It makes enough for two large pie crusts, but you could save one for another use – like pie!) or you could make this dish easier by using prepackaged dough like I did. If you use the homemade dough, you might not have a large crust around the edges, but using two homemade dough rounds will be too much.
The breakfast-for-dinner folks will love this dish for the last meal of the day. The breakfast and brunch crowd will eat it up, too (pun intended).
Give this Asparagus and Pancetta Quiche a go! I’m sure you’ll love it for whatever mealtime comes to mind!
Patricia Conte/Grab a Plate
Yields Serves 8
Save Recipe5 based on 2 review(s)
Ingredients
- 2 prepared pie crusts, thawed according to package directions
- 3/4 cup asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
- 4 ounces cooked pancetta, reserve about 1 tablespoon of the remaining grease
- 1/2 large shallot, sliced into medium-sized pieces
- 12 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1-1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Allow the dough to sit out and thaw according to package directions.
- Unroll both dough rounds. Use a knife to cut one of the rounds into 3-inch curved strips. Lightly wet the edges of the first round, and patch the strips around the outside of the dough to increase the size of the round. You should have a little of the extra dough leftover, and you can discard it.
- Roll the dough out slightly, working from the inside to the outer edges. If the strips aren’t adhering to the dough, wet your fingertips and press over the dough to help them stick together and roll it lightly.
- Transfer the dough to a 10-inch pie dish and crimp the edges.
- Use a 12-inch square of either parchment paper or aluminum foil and add to the top of the dough, and make sure some overhangs the pie dish.
- Add pie weights (you could use dried beans or rice) on top of the parchment or foil and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven. Wait a few minutes, then carefully lift the pie weights out of the shell using the overhanging paper. Allow the crust to cool for 5 minutes or so.
- Cook the pancetta over medium heat until crisp. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the remaining grease and over medium-low heat, add the shallot and cook a few minutes until soft. Remove from the pan and dab with a paper towel to remove excess grease.
- In a small bowl, add the asparagus, cooked shallot and pancetta and toss to combine.
- Reserve a few tablespoons of the asparagus mixture and add the rest to the pie plate over the dough.
- In another bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, cream, salt, and pepper. Pour over the asparagus mixture.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Add the reserved asparagus mixture to the top.
- Cook for about 40 minutes. If the crust is browning, cover the edges with some aluminum foil.
- If needed, cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the eggs are set.
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and set to broil for a few minutes until the cheese on top browns slightly.
- Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.
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