Asparagus And Ricotta Pizze Bianche Recipes

ASPARAGUS AND RICOTTA PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500ºF.
• Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 12 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick. (See Kelly's Notes.)
• Invert a baking sheet and sprinkle it liberally with cornmeal. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet then brush the dough lightly all over with olive oil.
• Combine the ricotta, parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley. Season the cheese mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
• Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus length-wise into thin ribbons. (There's no need to remove the tough ends first, as you can use them to more easily grip the asparagus as you peel them. Just make sure not to shave off any of the tougher part.) In a small bowl, toss the ribbons with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
• Spread the cheese mixture all over the pizza, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges, then evenly distribute the asparagus ribbons on top of the cheese.
• Bake the pizza for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating it half-way through, until the crust is fully baked and golden brown. Remove the pizza from the oven to a cutting board, drizzle it with fresh lemon juice, and slice and serve.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS AND RICOTTA PIZZA

Steps:

• Heat it up:Set up a grill with heat source, coals or gas, on one side over medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill.
• Stretch it:On a lightly floured work surface, stretch or roll 1 piece Basic Grilled Pizza Dough or 4 ounces store-bought dough into a 10-inch-long oval or other desired shape. Brush one side lightly with Herb Oil or olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Grill it:Using your hands, place dough, oiled side down, directly over heat source. Brush dough with herb oil or olive oil and cook until underside is lightly charred and bubbles form all over top, 1 to 2 minutes. With tongs, flip dough and cook until lightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes. Slide dough to cooler side of grill.
• Top it:Top with ricotta cheese, lemon zest and asparagus; cover grill. Cook until cheese melts and toppings are heated through, 2 to 5 minutes. Drizzle with herb oil before serving.

ASPARAGUS PIZZA

Steps:

• Trim 1/2 pound asparagus. Cut each stalk in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Form 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough (at room temperature) into an 11-by-15-inch rectangle on an oiled piece of parchment. Top with the asparagus and 1 cup shredded fontina. Slide the crust (on the parchment) onto a preheated pizza stone or inverted baking sheet. Bake at 475˚ until the bottom is crisp, 12 minutes. Top with pesto and red pepper flakes.

ONE-POT PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Combine the pasta, onions, garlic, asparagus, broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture boils, 7 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the frozen peas and continue to cook until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the pasta to serving bowls and top with dollops of ricotta and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.

SHEET-PAN PIZZA WITH ASPARAGUS AND ARUGULA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 500 degrees. Pour 3 tablespoons oil into a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet and brush to coat. (If you don't have a quarter sheet pan, you can use a larger one and aim to stretch the dough into a 9-by-13-inch rectangle.) Carefully stretch dough evenly to fill the baking sheet, avoiding creating holes or thin spots. The dough probably won't fit the baking sheet, so let it rest while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. If it still resists, layering the ingredients on top will help it keep its shape.
• Dollop the ricotta around the dough. Tear the mozzarella into pieces and distribute evenly. Toss the asparagus with the peppers and 1 teaspoon oil; arrange randomly over the cheese. Cut the pancetta slices in half, if using, and tuck them in here and there.
• Bake on bottom rack of oven for 15 minutes. If it seems to be darkening too quickly, lower heat to 450 degrees. Remove from oven, top with olives and return to oven for another 5 minutes until cheese is starting to brown and the crust is browned and crisp. Remove pan from the oven and immediately slide the pizza off the pan and onto a wire rack to prevent sogginess. After a few minutes, slide onto a board for serving. Season with flaky salt and pepper.
• In a medium bowl, toss parsley and arugula with lemon juice and remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Season with flaky salt and pepper. Garnish pizza with salad and serve.

PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS, ARUGULA AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add a generous amount of salt. Add the asparagus. Cook pencil-thin asparagus for two minutes, three to four minutes if stems are medium-thick. Transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water. Drain and set aside.
• Place the ricotta in a large pasta bowl.
• Bring the water back to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook al dente, following the directions for timing on the package but checking a minute before the suggested cooking time. Stir 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water into the ricotta. Drain the pasta and toss at once with the olive oil and ricotta, the arugula, asparagus and Parmesan. Serve hot.

PIZZA WITH ASPARAGUS, SPRING ONIONS, PANCETTA, AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Heat a large, wide-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions, and a large pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are soft, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and lowering the heat if needed to keep them from browning. Let cool.
• Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus. Slice the trimmed spears on the diagonal about 1/4 inch thick.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to chill quickly. Pat dry.
• Season the ricotta with salt and white pepper.
• At least 45 minutes before baking, put a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to its highest setting (500°F to 550°F).
• With lightly floured fingers, flatten a ball of pizza dough into a round on a lightly floured work surface. Pick up the round with both hands and, grasping the round by an edge, rotate the dough clockwise between your fingertips, always holding it by the edge. As you rotate the dough, stretch it into an 8-inch circle; the dough will also stretch and lengthen from its own weight. Alternatively, drape the flattened round over your lightly floured knuckles and rotate the dough, moving your knuckles slightly farther apart, until the round stretches into an 8-inch circle.
• Place on a pizza peel lightly dusted with cornmeal or durum flour. Work quickly now to prevent sticking.
• Using one-quarter of the onion mixture, spread it evenly over the surface of the dough. Scatter asparagus over the onions, using one-quarter of the total. Dollop one-quarter (4 ounces) of the ricotta on the pizza in 7 to 8 mounds. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Arrange 5 pancetta slices, still coiled in rounds, on top, spacing them evenly.
• Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone and bake until the crust is brown and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Cut into slices and serve hot. Repeat with the remaining three balls of dough and the remaining topping.
• Enjoy with Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc or another lean and refreshing white wine.