Shaved Raw Asparagus Salad Pizza

It is still asparagus season. I've already told you how much I love asparagus when it's fresh, so I won't go into that again.

Instead, I'll just continue to celebrate it in recipes like this.

Here the asparagus is served raw, barely dressed up with olive oil, lemon juice and scallions. Enjoyed on top of a mozzarella and Parmesan topped pizza crust, the asparagus just shines.

 

The asparagus elevates your traditional pizza to a whole new level. It's light and fresh. Be generous with it. You'll want extra asparagus salad so you have enough to snack on while the pizza cooks.

Shaved Raw Asparagus Salad Pizza
recipe adapted from two of Smitten Kitchen's asparagus favorites 

This pizza recipe will easily serve four for dinner, with side dishes. It's best served fresh, but it's still tasty reheated the next day. 

Ingredients
your favorite pizza dough crust
1/2 pound fresh asparagus
6 ounces mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. If you're using a pizza stone, put the stone in and preheat the oven at least 1 hour in advance.

Prepare the asparagus by holding each stem of asparagus by the base and peeling slices off using a hand-held vegetable peeler. Discard the tough ends. Do not worry if your pieces are uneven sizes. Toss together with olive oil, sliced scallions, and the juice and zest of 1/2 lemon. Taste, adding salt and pepper as desired.

Assemble the pizza. Stretch out your pizza dough to about a 12-inch circle on a floured pizza peel. Brush with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle the mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan over the top.

Transfer the pizza to a hot baking tray or pizza stone. Bake the pizza for 8 to 12 minutes.

Remove the pizza from the oven. Top with the raw, shaved asparagus salad. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top. Slice, and enjoy!