Oh spring, how I’ve missed you. It’s been way too long since we last saw each other. I’ve missed the familiar feeling of sunny weather warming my skin, the longer, brighter days and the abundance of seasonal produce lining tables at farmers markets.
Every winter I dream about what delicious fruits and vegetables spring has to offer. We’ve got leeks, chives, morels, apricots, avocados, artichokes, fennel, mangoes, peas, pineapples, rhubarb, spinach and watercress. And so much more.
This week I wanted to highlight my favorite spring vegetable – asparagus – in a fun and easy way. This pizza comes together in under 10 minutes and would be a great appetizer for entertaining or even a casual dinner for two.
I replaced traditional pizza sauce with a vibrant, fresh lemon ricotta and added a flavor punch with sundried tomato pesto. You could even fire up the grill to cook the pizza… and maybe throw some s’mores in there too?
Ingredients:
1 pound pizza dough
2 scallions, roughly chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup prepared sundried tomato pesto
8 asparagus stalks, cleaned and trimmed
Red pepper flakes, for topping
Grated parmesan cheese, for topping
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface. Brush baking sheet with olive oil; place dough on baking sheet and cook about 10 minutes, until golden.
Mix ricotta, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Remove crust from oven, brush with olive oil and then spread with the ricotta mixture. Season with more salt if needed. Spread pesto over ricotta and top with asparagus in circular design. Sprinkle with chopped scallions and red pepper flakes. Return to the oven until warmed through, about four minutes.
Top the pizza with parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil and eat immediately.
