It’s about time spring made its much-anticipated debut in New York City. Temperatures are just starting to creep up into the 40s, and dare I jinx it, but we may even have a 50-degree day on the horizon. With a change of the seasons comes new beginnings, and I’ve been keeping extra busy with a fun and challenging weeknight endeavor that’s way outside my comfort zone of cheese, carbs and chocolate.
Fire up those Excel engines because yours truly is wading her way through the wide world of Business Fundamentals & Tactics, the first-ever business program organized by New York City entrepreneur society General Assembly along with knowledge partner McKinsey & Company. Long story short, I’ve gone from crunching on Homemade Samoas Girl Scout Cookies while dealing with numbers in the form of teaspoons and cups, to crunching out cumulative revenue formulas while building financial models to map key metrics of proposed businesses.
I love a good challenge and am excited to be learning critical concepts about business models, market analysis, quantitative research methods and so much more. My fellow students and I are chronicling our journeys over on Tumblr, so check out my Course Reflections blog for more details. (Note: My case study for the course is based on the USPS business model, so if mail delivery really gets you going, prepare to fall in love.)
Know what else is new? This recipe for easy homemade Asparagus and Ricotta Pizza, which just about screams “spring” with every creamy, veggie-packed bite. Shaving the asparagus into thin ribbons makes for a quick bake time, and the ribbons also lend themselves well in salads starring leafy greens or your favorite grains. But there’s one more touch to take this pizza to all new homemade heights …
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Ingredients
- 1 pound store-bought or homemade pizza dough
- Cornmeal, for dusting baking sheet
- Olive oil
- 1 1/3 cups fresh ricotta
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 pound asparagus (medium thickness)
- Lemon, for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500ºF.
- Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 12 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick. (See Kelly's Notes.)
- Invert a baking sheet and sprinkle it liberally with cornmeal. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet then brush the dough lightly all over with olive oil.
- Combine the ricotta, parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley. Season the cheese mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus length-wise into thin ribbons. (There's no need to remove the tough ends first, as you can use them to more easily grip the asparagus as you peel them. Just make sure not to shave off any of the tougher part.) In a small bowl, toss the ribbons with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
- Spread the cheese mixture all over the pizza, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges, then evenly distribute the asparagus ribbons on top of the cheese.
- Bake the pizza for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating it half-way through, until the crust is fully baked and golden brown. Remove the pizza from the oven to a cutting board, drizzle it with fresh lemon juice, and slice and serve.
Kelly's Notes:
- The pizza dough can be rolled into any desired shape, including round, rectangular or free-form, for a more rustic look.
- You can use a pizza stone in place of the inverted baking sheet.
- Oven temperatures and positions may vary, so make sure you are baking your pizza on the middle rack and check it frequently.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of JustaTaste.com.
I haven’t used the shaved asparagus before but have used asparagus pieces on a veggie pizza using Boursin as a base. Delicious! I now now must try the ricotta recipe.
Enjoy!
DELICIOUS!!!!
This looks wonderful and quick to make. I’m going to use this recipe for an upcoming “finger food” event.
i have never peeled asparagus before…and on this spring pizza lovin this idea!
Ich denke riccota Pizza mehr essen delicius damit auf mehr Leute mögen es. Fast auch mehr Menschen essen täglich, weil echte große Weinprobe Pizza zu Mittag.
This looks like a great tasting pizza, it is a real shame that modern fast food restaurants have turned Pizza into big greasy slices of saturated fat, this uses real ingredients, and takes pizza back to basics, which i love! thanks for sharing…
Spell-check keeps jumping in and typing “perigees”. It’s supposed to be perogies!
You inspired me. A few days after I read this pizza idea, I was struggling to come up with an idea for supper. I ended up using a tortilla, topped with shredded Mexican cheese, steamed skinny asparagus, and veggie pepperoni. Then a day or so later, I fixed store-bought perigees and topped them with more steamed skinny asparagus and shaved celery. It was easy and delicious. Thanks to you I have new ideas in my cooking bag of tricks.
I have two brand new tubs of ricotta and a fresh bunch of asparagus in my fridge as I type – This is totally getting made next week. Totally!
What a stunning looking pizza! It sounds absolutely delicious too :)
So I have been pretty much waiting since the end of last asparagus season for the beginning of this asparagus season. My world kind of revolves around asparagus, you see. I can’t wait to try this!
I absolutely love the asparagus ribbons! Super Spring-y pizza!
superbe pizza ! j’aime beaucoup les asperges et je note votre recette pour la refaire
merci beaucoup
enjoy !
I have been wanting to try ricotta on pizza and as soon as the wild asparagus starts this spring, I will be making this!
GORGEOUS!
Good luck in your business studies, believe me it’s one of the best things you can do for yourself (business grad speaking here..)
Your pizza looks beautiful, great idea to shave asparagus!
What a great idea shaving the asparagus. I think I need to give it a try. And wow this is a great pizza!
What a gorgeous looking pizza! I love the shreds on top – it makes me want to take my teeth and sink right in!
I LOVE how fresh and green this pizza looks, Kelly. It is perfect for spring! Business classes sound fun…kinda. LOL. Good for you for taking them!
You’re amazing for taking business classes. I way overdue for those lessons. Also, I love the shaved asparagus on this pizza.