Asparagus & Mushroom Pizza
As the seasons change, so do my pizza ingredients. This recipe, Asparagus Mushroom Pizza is perfect for spring or summer, when the Asparagus is tasty and in season. The basic techniques are the same, but the asparagus gives the pizza a fresh grassy taste, that offsets the earthy rich mushrooms. This is a good pizza to play around with the chesse as well. I’ve added a bit of goat cheese as yet another topping, but many others would be great. Hope you enjoy it, as much as I do.
Recipe Overview and Keys to Success
- Use good, fresh asparagus (canned or frozen won’t work) – same for the mushrooms
- While you may like the mushrooms either more or less cooked than I do, I’m pretty confident you’ll want the asparagus just barely cooked through. I blanch mine off, and then chop them into tiny pieces.
- Use a pizza stone, pre-heated in a 450+ degree oven for the crispiest crust.
- Transferring the pizza from the cutting board on which you make it, to the pizza stone can be tricky. Use polenta/grits to help slide the pizza (they are like little ball bearings) from my cutting board onto the pizza stone.
RECIPE FOR ASPARAGUS MUSHROOM PIZZA
Ingredients (for about 2 people)
- 2/3 cup pizza sauce
- Pizza Dough - Don't make it; buy it from your local pizza shop - they've already sized it for small, med, large (this recipe is for medium size)
- 3 – 4 spears of fresh asparagus
- 1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms (use your favorite – I used crimini)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 2 – 3 tablespoons goat cheese
- 1 tablespoon of dry polenta/grits to help slide the dough
Making the Asparagus Mushroom Pizza
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with the pizza stone or baking pan
- Make the pizza sauce; you can do this hours ahead of time, or even take it out of the freezer
- Blanch and shock the asparagus; chop the spears into 1/4 inch pieces
- Sauté the mushrooms until the moisture has evaporated and the edges have browned – about twenty minutes
- Stretch out the Pizza Dough to the desired thickness (I like it pretty thin) and place it on a pizza peel or cutting board sprinkled with dry polenta or grits
- Spread the pizza sauce out on the dough
- Top with the mozzarella cheese – you can use a bit more or less than the full cup I use
- Sprinkle around the blanched asparagus and sautéed mushrooms
- Add a few small pieces (about fingernail size) of goat cheese around the pizza
- Season with salt and pepper
- Carefully slide the pizza onto the pizza stone/baking sheet and allow it to cook for 10 – 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and just starting to brown in a few places
- Remove, and allow it to sit for a few minutes before cutting into it
Hope you enjoy this pizza recipe. It’s a perfect match with an ice cold beer, or if you’re a wine drinker try a sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigo
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