Shaved Asparagus Pizza Recipe 465

SHAVED ASPARAGUS PIZZA

Steps:

• Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and heat oven to 500°F (260°C). Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.
• Place the ball of dough in the center of the oiled sheet pan and gently tug the dough so that it fits the pan. If the dough is too firm to stretch, grab a rolling pin (or, lacking that, a wine bottle) and gently roll the dough to fit the baking sheet.
• Arrange 15 pieces (about 1 tablespoon each) of Brie across the dough in 3 rows of 5. Using a box grater, grate the garlic clove over the top, then scatter on the Parmigiano-Reggiano and black pepper. Drag a vegetable peeler along the length of each asparagus spear to create long shavings. It will seem like a ton of asparagus when it's all shaved, but it collapses quite a bit when cooked. Strew handfuls of the shaved asparagus across the pizza and sprinkle everything with salt.
• Place the sheet pan directly on the pizza stone and bake until the crust is golden brown and the asparagus is charred in spots, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove the pizza from the oven, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Slice and serve immediately. Originally published March 31, 2018.

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.

PIZZA WITH SHAVED ASPARAGUS AND ROBIOLA

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups flour and the salt, stirring until smooth. Stir in an additional 2 cups flour; continue adding flour (up to 1/2 cup), 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until the dough comes away from the bowl but is still sticky.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead with lightly floured hands. Start by slapping the dough onto the counter, pulling it toward you with one hand and pushing it away from you with the other. Fold the dough back over itself (use a bench scraper or a wide knife to help scrape dough from surface). Repeat until it's easier to handle, about 10 times. Finish kneading normally until the dough is smooth, elastic and soft, but a little tacky, about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 3 hours.
• Press it with your finger to see if it's done; an indent should remain. Gently remove the dough from the bowl and divide in half. Roll each half into a ball and put on a lightly floured baking sheet. Brush lightly with olive oil, cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes.
• Prepare charcoal in a chimney starter (allowing the charcoal to burn until all the charcoal is covered with a thin layer of gray ash). Add to the grill, creating a two-level fire by spreading the coals out over half the grill bottom, piling them up in a mound 3 briquettes high, and leaving the other half with no coals.
• Stretch and shape each ball of dough into a rough 12-by-10-inch rectangle. Brush one side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn onto the grill, oiled-side down, over direct heat. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until nicely charred, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip, close the lid and grill another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer the pizza to a baking sheet that will fit on the covered grill. Spread half of the robiola over the top. Return the pizza on the baking sheet to the grill, cover and let warm a few minutes just to melt the cheese. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Scatter the shaved asparagus and then the Romano shavings over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter the lemon zest over the top, then the parsley leaves and drizzle with olive oil.
• Repeat with the remaining dough and topping ingredients.

SHAVED ASPARAGUS PIZZA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat your oven to its highest temperature - about 240c in most cases. If you use a pizza stone, place it in the oven. 2. Prepare the asparagus. No need to snap off the ends, they can be your 'handles' as you peel the asparagus. Holding a single asparagus spear by its tough end, lay it flat on a cutting board. Use a vegetable peeler; a Y-shaped peeler works best here, but I've successfully made this with a standard old would also work, in theory, but I found it more difficult to use for this. With your peeler of choice, create long shavings of asparagus by drawing the peeler from the base to the top of the asparagus stalk. Repeat with remaining stalks, and don't fret if some pieces are unevenly thick (such as the end of the stalk, which might be too thin to peel); the mixed textures give the pizza character. Discard the tough ends. Toss the peelings with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl, and be sure to try one - I bet you can hardly believe how good raw asparagus can taste. 3. Assemble and bake pizza. Roll or stretch out your pizza dough to a 30cm round. Transfer either to a floured or polenta-dusted pizza peel (if using a pizza stone in the oven) or to a flour or polenta-dusted baking sheet. Sprinkle the pizza dough with Parmesan, then mozzarella. Pile the asparagus on top. Bake the pizza for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are browned, the cheese is bubbly, and the asparagus might be lightly charred. Remove from the oven, immediately sprinkle with spring onions, then slice and eat.

WHITE PIZZA WITH SHAVED VEGETABLES AND PESTO

Steps:

• Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 500°F. Drain ricotta in a paper towel-lined colander.
• Gently stretch dough to a 16x12" oval and transfer to a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet. (If dough springs back, cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10 minutes, then stretch again, resting as needed.) Brush with 1 Tbsp. oil, then bake until dry and golden, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss zucchini, leeks, asparagus, peas, salt, and 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl. Whisk ricotta, mozzarella, pesto, garlic, and lemon zest in another medium bowl until smooth.
• Spread ricotta mixture over dough, then arrange vegetables over. Bake pizza, rotating pan halfway through, until cheese is melted, vegetables are roasted and tender, and crust is golden brown, 7-9 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss watercress and basil with remaining 1 tsp. oil. Remove baking sheet from oven, then transfer pizza with a pizza peel or offset spatula to wire rack. Top pizza with watercress mixture, Pecorino, and pistachios. Let cool slightly, then cut into wedges 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.

SHAVED ASPARAGUS PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• If not already shaped, stretch your pizza dough into a large circle 12-16 inches in diameter and place on your pizza pan or stone. Drizzle dough with a thin stream of olive oil.
• Slice fresh mozzarella as thinly as possible and arrange in a single layer over dough.
• Using a vegetable peeler shave your asparagus into thin ribbons. Use the entire bunch, as you might only get 3 or 4 good ribbons from each spear. Pile asparagus shavings on top of the mozzarella. The asparagus WILL cook down so you want to use more than you think is necessary.
• Top asparagus with several cranks of black pepper and dot generously with Boursin cheese. (I tend to use 1/4-1/2 a package per pizza.).
• Bake on pizza stone or baking sheet for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing and serving.

SHAVED ASPARAGUS PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
• Remove outer layers of loose skin from garlic bulb. Cut 1/2 inch (1 cm) off the top of the bulb (the pointed end), exposing the inside of the individual cloves. Place cut side up on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with 1 tsp (5 mL) oil and wrap bulb tightly in foil. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes in an oven-safe dish. When cool enough to handle, turn bulb upside down and squeeze out the softened brown cloves. Start the pizza once the garlic has cooled.
• To make the toppings, start by holding the asparagus stalks by their thick woody ends and use a vegetable peeler to shave each spear into thin ribbons. Transfer shavings into a large bowl and toss with oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, roasted garlic, basil, chives and red pepper flakes (if using). Set aside.
• To make the dough, mix together 1/4 cup (60 mL) whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour in a small bowl and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the rest of the whole wheat and all-purpose flours, wheat bran, flaxseed, pizza yeast, sugar and salt. Add water and oil and mix until well blended. Add the reserved flour as needed to make a smooth dough.
• Turn dough and any loose pieces out on to a well-floured surface.
• Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, approximately 3 minutes.
• Press or roll dough out to fill a pizza pan. Set aside.
• Spread ricotta mixture over uncooked crust leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm) border. Top evenly with shaved asparagus.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until crust is brown and asparagus begins to char. Cool for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing. Serve.

SPAGHETTI WITH SHAVED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Add asparagus and lemon zest to pot; immediately drain pasta mixture, and return to pot.
• Add butter and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, and toss, adding enough pasta water to create a thin sauce. Top with Parmesan.

ASPARAGUS, BACON & HERBED CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Place crust on an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan or baking sheet; brush top with 4 teaspoons oil. Top with mozzarella cheese, asparagus and bacon. Drop spreadable cheese by teaspoonfuls over pizza. Sprinkle with pepper flakes; drizzle with remaining oil., Bake 12-15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.

SHAVED ASPARAGUS PIZZA

Steps:

• Mix flour, salt, and yeast together in a bowl. Add water and olive oil and stir until the mixture forms a rough ball. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a neater ball for a minute or two. Lightly coat the bowl with olive oil. Return dough to the bowl and roll around to coat in oil. Cover the bowl and let sit until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Dump the dough onto a floured surface and press air out using the palm of your hand. Fold dough back into a ball, cover, and let sit 20 minutes more.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Sprinkle a pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal.
• Roll and stretch dough into a thin circle roughly 12 inches in diameter. Place dough on the prepared baking stone.
• Hold an asparagus stalk by the thick end and lay it flat on a cutting board. Use a vegetable peeler to create long shavings into a bowl. Repeat with remaining stalks and discard tough ends. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and salt and toss to coat.
• Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of the dough followed by mozzarella cheese. Add shaved asparagus.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is browned and bubbly and asparagus is lightly charred, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Top with green onions before slicing and serving.

ASPARAGUS PIZZA

Steps:

• Shape dough into a ball by pulling sides down and folding into bottom at centre; cover with tea towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
• In a large bowl, mix asparagus, half of the oil, the salt & pepper; set aside.
• On a lightly floure surface, shape dough by pressing with fingertips and pulling edges to stretch into 16"x12" rectangle. Place on cornmeal dusted baking sheet.
• Stir remaining oil with garlic spread over dough. Top with asparagus, and cheeses.
• Bake at 425F until crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

PIZZA WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in water and set aside to proof for about five minutes. Pour yeast mixture into a bowl, add salt, olive oil, pepper and two cups of flour. Mix well. Add some of the remaining flour, in two or three portions, until the dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl. You should have some flour left.
• Dust a work surface with some of the remaining flour and turn the dough out onto it. Knead until it is very smooth and elastic, kneading in additional flour as necessary.
• Place the dough in a large lightly oiled bowl. Turn the dough to oil the top, cover loosely and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour at room temperature. Punch the dough down.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place oven rack in the lowest position. Dust a lightly oiled baking sheet or pizza stone with cornmeal.
• Divide the dough into four portions and roll or stretch each to form an eight-inch circle, leaving a thicker border.
• Snap off the bottom ends of the asparagus and peel the bottom half of each. Slice each asparagus in half lengthwise, then cut each piece in half.
• Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the circles of dough, then arrange the asparagus pieces, cut side down, in a pattern on each. Sprinkle with Fontina and Gorgonzola.
• Bake pizzas about 15 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned and the cheese is bubbling. Serve at once.