Shaved Asparagus Pizza

Wednesday night is pizza night in our home.  It’s the day of the week that Ben teaches late, so for some reason that constituted pizza night in my mind.  Friday seems to be a popular day for families to enjoy their homemade pizzas, but we always seem to find a reason to go out on Friday nights, usually with the kid since grandparents aren’t near to help watch him. But, if you’re willing to babysit we’ll take you up on the offer. 😉

It goes without saying, we thoroughly enjoy our pizzas and lately we’ve been trying new variations as you saw with Monday’s post.  Last night, we tested out yet another new combination that I’ve had bookmarked for almost a year.  Yes, last night.  It was so good that I just couldn’t wait to share it with you, so I moved it up a week in my posting calendar.

Spring is in the air, in more places than just Mississippi.  We’ve had 80+ degree weather lately and I’ve seen my Northern friends’ posts about the warmer weather up there.  Asparagus is a favorite spring vegetable of ours, so being able to incorporate it onto a pizza was a dream come true for me!  I didn’t know what to expect, and honestly was a tiny bit worried it wouldn’t turn out.  But, oh my, my, my, it instantly has become a favorite!

This pizza is deliciously simple.  If you have a vegetable peeler, you’re good to go.  Use it to shave the asparagus spears into thin ribbons that will top your pizza, giving it such a gorgeously fresh appearance and taste!  It might seem like a lot of asparagus for just one 12-inch pizza, but they cook down while baking, so make sure you use them all.
The original recipe calls for quite expensive ingredients (fresh mozzarella and Boursin cheese), however, I had no hesitation in substituting those for cheaper options.  Instead of the fresh mozzarella at a $4.00 to $5.00 cost, I spent $2.50 for a bag of shredded mozzarella (using only half and spreading it to 2 uses).  Then, I picked up garlic herb Laughing Cow cheese spread for less than half the price of the $5.99 Boursin (again, using only half and spreading to 2 uses).
I’ll include all options in the recipe below and leave it up to you if you want to go the expensive route or the cheaper alternative.  Either way, the pizza turns out extremely delicious and in my opinion there is no sacrifice of enjoyment, leaving more pennies on your pocket.  Nonetheless, what a better pizza to enjoy this spring?  (Or, if you’re up for it, it’s a perfectly green meal for St. Paddy’s Day this Saturday…)  😉

Full Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Frigidaire. When you check out Suzanne Goin’s springtime recipes at www.maketimeforchange.com, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children’s U.S. programs. Plus, you’ll be entered for a chance to win the new Frigidaire Range with Symmetry™ Double Ovens– featuring two large ovens (that can each fit up to a 28 pound turkey!), providing the flexibility to cook multiple dishes at the same time at different temperatures, so you can get more on the table at the same time.

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Shaved Asparagus Pizza

Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
• Olive oil
• Garlic salt , to taste
• 8 ounces asparagus spears , woody stems removed
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella , thinly sliced (or 1 cup shredded, not fresh, mozzarella)
• 3 ounces spreadable garlic herb cheese , such as Boursin, The Laughing Cow, another brand or garlic herb seasoned cream cheese
• Freshly ground pepper , to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Press the pizza dough into a 12- to 14-inch round pizza pan. (Sometimes I use my stone, in which case you should preheat the stone for 30 minutes and roll your pizza dough on parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal.) Brush the surface and outer crust with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic salt.
3. Spread the mozzarella over the pizza dough in an even layer. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the asparagus spears into thin ribbons, reserving the tips as well. Pile it all on top of the mozzarella. Dot the surface of the pizza with the garlic herb spread, then season with black pepper, to taste.
4. Transfer the pizza to the preheated oven and bake until the mozzarella cheese is melted and the crust is lightly browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes before slicing and serving.
5. Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from The Tasty Kitchen Blog