Shaved Asparagus Pizza with No-Rise Crust

FINALLY....Spring has made it to Cincinnati. It is gorgeous outside, and I am trying to soak it all up. That's why I jumped at my first chance to eat lunch on my balcony, using my new (to me) bistro set for the first time. It turned into an elegant little affair involving just little ole me.

This pizza is Spring in a pan. I've always loved asparagus, but never really thought to put it on a pizza. Of course this "recipe" is really more of a suggestion, as with all pizza, just add what you have! Deb added green onions, which I think would be lovely, but I didn't have any on hand. I simply added a pinch of crushed red peppers and some minced garlic, because garlic makes everything better. You could also add some lemon zest or other spring veggies, though I think too much would take away from the delicate asparagus. 

The no-rise crust has been a favorite of mine the past few months. If I can have a delicious homemade pizza in the amount of time it takes to preheat the oven, I am down. I've found that I prefer to bake it in a cast iron skillet, but you could also bake it on a parchment lined baking sheet. 

Happy Sunday everyone! 

P.S. um...so yeah...I definitely spilled my water on the tablecloth cutting the pizza. Excuse the water spots! :)

Shaved Asparagus Pizza with No-Rise Pizza Crust

Ingredients 

Crust

1/2 cup water, heated to 110 degrees

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

1 3/8 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Shaved Asparagus Pizza Topping

1/2 pound asparagus

1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 pound mozzarella, shredded or cut into small cubes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Pinch of crushed red pepper
Several grinds black pepper 

Optional Toppings: lemon zest, poached eggs, chopped green onions (sprinkle after pizza bakes), etc. 
 

Directions

Preheat oven to 500°

First prepare the pizza crust. Whisk water, oil, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Allow yeast to proof for 5 minutes. Add flour and salt to yeast mixture, and stir until combined. Quickly knead dough until it comes together. If baking in a cast iron, press dough into lightly oiled skillet. If baking on a baking sheet, roll dough out on a lightly floured surface, then place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Next, prepare asparagus. Wash asparagus, but don't snap off ends. Holding a single asparagus spear by its tough end, lay it flat on a cutting board and using a vegetable peeler (even my dull ikea one did the job!). Create long shavings of asparagus by drawing the peeler from the base to the top of the stalk. Repeat with remaining stalks. Discard tough ends. Toss peelings with olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, and pepper in a bowl.

Now it's time to assemble the pizza. Sprinkle pizza dough with Parmesan, mozzarella, and garlic. Pile asparagus on top. Bake pizza for 10 to 15 minutes, or until edges are browned, the cheese is bubbly and the asparagus is lightly charred. Remove from the oven, slice, and eat.

Recipe Sources: Smitten Kitchen and The Fauxmartha