Asparagus and Leek Pizza with Mozzarella Cheese
Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho
January 9, 2017
Margherita Pizza
January 9, 2017
Asparagus and Leek Pizza with Mozzarella Cheese
Gently sautéed and freshened with lemon, asparagus and leek pizza with mozzarella cheese makes for a fresh and healthy dinner.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oven to 500 degrees. If using a pizza stone, allow the stone to heat up along with the oven for a half hour before baking on it.
Stretch out your dough on a cornmeal-dusted peel to about 10-12” in diameter, and brush the top with olive oil.
Peel the asparagus: Hold a single asparagus spear at the base and lay it flat on a cutting board. Using a vegetable peeler (a Y-shaped peeler works best...you could also try a mandoline, but be careful of your fingers), run the peeler lengthwise down the asparagus, creating long shavings. Repeat with the remaining stalks. Your strips will be all different sizes, but don’t worry, it will just add to the texture (and fun!). Discard the tough ends.
Place the asparagus peelings in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and freshly chopped thyme.
Clean the leeks thoroughly by rinsing with water. It’s easiest if you chop them first (you’ll only be using the white ends), so you can rinse all the nooks and crannies free of dirt.
Heat a skillet on the stove top over medium heat. Pour in 1 tablespoon of Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Place the chopped leeks in the skillet, and sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes.
Add the shaved asparagus, and sauté for about 3 minutes, allowing the flavors to combine.
Dollop the fresh mozzarella along the surface of the stretched out pizza dough. You can also grate some Parmesan cheese over the mozzarella.
Distribute the shaved asparagus and leek mixture over the top of the cheese. Sprinkle on a bit more fresh thyme as well.
Drizzle with Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper.
Slide your pizza onto the stone in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the top of the pizza.
Alternately, this pizza is fantastic on the grill. If you’d like to grill this pie, heat up your grill and oil the grate.
Before you begin, it’s handy to have a few things in place: Position all your topping in bowls alongside the grill. It may be necessary to pull up a small table next to the grill for this purpose. Make sure your cheese is sliced and waiting on a dish as is the leek and asparagus mixture. Have some extra olive oil handy, the chopped thyme, salt, pepper and lemon. It’s also a good idea to have some tongs and oven mitts at the ready (things get hot) and a platter or cutting board for your finished pizza.
Instead of dusting a peel with cornmeal, brush both sides of the stretched-out pizza dough with Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Place the stretched-out dough (without toppings!) directly onto the grill grate, and close the lid. Let it bake for about 2 minutes (this goes very quickly!).
Open the lid and using the tongs, flip the crust to the other side. Starting with the cheese, place all the toppings on the pizza as neatly and quickly as possible. Don’t forget the seasonings! Close the lid and allow to bake for another 2-3 minutes.
Finally, remove the pizza from the grill (use those tongs again) and place it onto a serving platter. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top. Serve!
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Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oven to 500 degrees. If using a pizza stone, allow the stone to heat up along with the oven for a half hour before baking on it.
Stretch out your dough on a cornmeal-dusted peel to about 10-12” in diameter, and brush the top with olive oil.
Peel the asparagus: Hold a single asparagus spear at the base and lay it flat on a cutting board. Using a vegetable peeler (a Y-shaped peeler works best...you could also try a mandoline, but be careful of your fingers), run the peeler lengthwise down the asparagus, creating long shavings. Repeat with the remaining stalks. Your strips will be all different sizes, but don’t worry, it will just add to the texture (and fun!). Discard the tough ends.
Place the asparagus peelings in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and freshly chopped thyme.
Clean the leeks thoroughly by rinsing with water. It’s easiest if you chop them first (you’ll only be using the white ends), so you can rinse all the nooks and crannies free of dirt.
Heat a skillet on the stove top over medium heat. Pour in 1 tablespoon of Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Place the chopped leeks in the skillet, and sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes.
Add the shaved asparagus, and sauté for about 3 minutes, allowing the flavors to combine.
Dollop the fresh mozzarella along the surface of the stretched out pizza dough. You can also grate some Parmesan cheese over the mozzarella.
Distribute the shaved asparagus and leek mixture over the top of the cheese. Sprinkle on a bit more fresh thyme as well.
Drizzle with Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper.
Slide your pizza onto the stone in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the top of the pizza.
Alternately, this pizza is fantastic on the grill. If you’d like to grill this pie, heat up your grill and oil the grate.
Before you begin, it’s handy to have a few things in place: Position all your topping in bowls alongside the grill. It may be necessary to pull up a small table next to the grill for this purpose. Make sure your cheese is sliced and waiting on a dish as is the leek and asparagus mixture. Have some extra olive oil handy, the chopped thyme, salt, pepper and lemon. It’s also a good idea to have some tongs and oven mitts at the ready (things get hot) and a platter or cutting board for your finished pizza.
Instead of dusting a peel with cornmeal, brush both sides of the stretched-out pizza dough with Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Place the stretched-out dough (without toppings!) directly onto the grill grate, and close the lid. Let it bake for about 2 minutes (this goes very quickly!).
Open the lid and using the tongs, flip the crust to the other side. Starting with the cheese, place all the toppings on the pizza as neatly and quickly as possible. Don’t forget the seasonings! Close the lid and allow to bake for another 2-3 minutes.
Finally, remove the pizza from the grill (use those tongs again) and place it onto a serving platter. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top. Serve!