Grilled Asparagus And Ricotta Pizza Recipes

PIZZA WITH HAM, ASPARAGUS, AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 550 degrees F (285 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook uncovered until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes. Once asparagus is cold, drain well and set aside.
• Combine ricotta, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and heavy cream in a small bowl. Stir in fresh herbs (if using) and set aside.
• To shape the pizza dough, sprinkle the countertop and dough surface with flour and lightly pat flat. Use a rolling pin to form a thin disk about 9 inches in diameter. Transfer to a baking sheet.
• Spread ricotta mixture over crust, top with ham and asparagus. Sprinkle with Cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses.
• Place baking sheet on the bottom rack of the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to the top rack and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

PIZZA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS, RICOTTA AND CHARD

Steps:

• Thirty minutes before baking the pizza, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until tender and just beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Add the thyme, garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook another 10 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are golden brown and very sweet and soft. Remove from the heat.
• While the onions are cooking, stem and wash the chard leaves, and bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Fill a medium bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the chard. Blanch for one to two minutes, just until the leaves are tender, and transfer to the ice water. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Alternatively, steam the chard for two to three minutes until wilted, and rinse with cold water. Chop the chard medium-fine.
• Roll out the dough, oil a 14-inch pizza pan and dust with cornmeal or semolina. Place the dough on the pan.
• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, egg yolk, Parmesan and chard. Spread over the pizza dough in an even layer, leaving a 1-inch border around the rim. Spread the onions over the ricotta mixture.
• Place in the hot oven, and bake 10 to 15 minutes until the crust and bits of the onion are nicely browned. Remove from the heat, and serve hot or warm.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS AND RICOTTA PIZZA

Steps:

• Heat it up:Set up a grill with heat source, coals or gas, on one side over medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill.
• Stretch it:On a lightly floured work surface, stretch or roll 1 piece Basic Grilled Pizza Dough or 4 ounces store-bought dough into a 10-inch-long oval or other desired shape. Brush one side lightly with Herb Oil or olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Grill it:Using your hands, place dough, oiled side down, directly over heat source. Brush dough with herb oil or olive oil and cook until underside is lightly charred and bubbles form all over top, 1 to 2 minutes. With tongs, flip dough and cook until lightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes. Slide dough to cooler side of grill.
• Top it:Top with ricotta cheese, lemon zest and asparagus; cover grill. Cook until cheese melts and toppings are heated through, 2 to 5 minutes. Drizzle with herb oil before serving.

GRILLED PIZZA WITH RICOTTA AND PESTO

Steps:

• Prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill, or heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium heat.
• Roll the pizza dough into 8 small pizzas, each about 1/8-inch thick and 3 inches round.
• Lightly brush both sides of the pizzas with oil. Grill the pizzas over medium heat until the first side is nicely browned and firm to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the pizzas over on the grill. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of pesto on each pizza, spreading it to the edges. On top of each pizza, spoon 4 teaspoons of ricotta cheese, in little balls. Cook the pizzas until the ricotta just begins to melt, 3 to 5 minutes from the moment you turned the pizzas. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top of each pizza. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve warm.

GRILLED WHITE PIZZA

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for diffused indirect heat by building the hot coals evenly around the perimeter of the grill. Remove the center ring from the grill grate and insert a medium cast-iron skillet. Invert another larger cast-iron skillet over the top. This acts as a pizza oven for your outdoor grill. (If using a gas grill, heat to medium-high heat.)
• For the pizza dough: Add the flour, honey, salt and yeast to a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Then add 1 3/4 cups room temperature water and the olive oil and pulse again until the dough comes together into a rough ball and rides around the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until a smooth elastic ball forms. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and place each in a quart-sized deli container or gallon-sized resealable plastic bag with a drizzle of olive oil. Allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate overnight and up to 5 days. This makes enough for 3 pizzas. Save the extra dough in the freezer for another time. It will last up to 2 months.
• When ready to use, remove the dough from the refrigerator and take it out of its storage vessel while still cold. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 1 hour before grilling.
• For the cheese mixture: In the meantime, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, pecorino and herbs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• To make the pizza: Dust a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet with flour. Press one dough ball out on to the peel, shaping it into a circle. Slide the pizza onto the inverted cast-iron and dollop the cheese mixture over the surface. Scatter the asparagus, onions and Parmesan evenly over the surface and drizzle with olive oil. Cover the grill and bake until golden brown and crusty, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Using the peel, remove the pizza from the grill and slide it onto a cutting board. Drizzle with more olive oil, slice and serve with more freshly grated Parmesan over the top.
• (Alternatively, you can slide the pizza onto an upside-down sheet tray in the oven and cook in a 500 degrees F oven until golden brown and crusty, 10 to 15 minutes.)