Asparagus, Tomato, and Pesto Pizza

Italian Vegetarian

There's something very special about the combo of pesto and fresh asparagus. It tastes like spring to me. My daughter and I had so much fun creating this pizza one night that we decided that it needed to always be in our pizza rotation.

Ingredients

  • 1 batch pizza dough
  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup Zesty Pesto
  • 2/3 cup shredded vegan mozzarella-style cheese
  • 2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • 10 stalks asparagus, ends snapped off, cut into 3 to 4 pieces
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven, preferably with a pizza stone inside, to 500°F for 30 minutes, while getting the pizza ready.

Divide your dough into 2 even pieces. Keep 1, and return 1 to the bucket, cover, and refrigerate for later use. On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll out your dough into 1 large or 2 small rounds, as thin as you can get it. I like to make my small pizzas about 11 inches and my large between 14 and 15 inches. Don't worry if your dough tears. Simply patch it back together with your fingers. Lightly dust with additional flour if the dough is too sticky. Try not to use too much, or your crust will be very dry. Carefully transfer the rolled-out dough to a large sheet of parchment paper.

Spread the pesto 1/4 to 1/3 cup for each small pizza, and 1/2 to 2/3 cup for a large) evenly on the pizza, leaving a 1/4- to 1/2-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle the cheese over the sauce, and top with the tomatoes and asparagus. If making 2 small pizzas, repeat with the remaining pizza. If desired, sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Carefully transfer the pizza and parchment paper to the pizza stone, if using. Otherwise, place the pizza on a baking sheet, and place in the preheated oven. If making 2 small pizzas, repeat with the remaining pizza.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust looks fairly darkish brown. If it's not done, continue baking for a few more minutes.

Let the pizza cool for 5 minutes before cutting into slices, and serve right away.


Makes 1 large (14- to 15-inch) pizza or 2 individual (about 11-inch) thin-crust pizzas. Tip: If you aren't familiar with snapping the ends off asparagus, here is how you do it. Take a stalk of raw asparagus and hold it in the middle with one hand, and with the other hand snap off the woody end piece. Alternatively, you can use a knife and cut off the bottom inch or inch and a half.

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Submitted 8/20/13.
Source: Vegan Pizza: 50 Cheesy, Crispy, Healthy Recipes by Julie Hasson
Submitted By: Brandon Smith

Asparagus, Tomato, and Pesto Pizza