A couple years ago, I came across Pizzeria Delfina’s recipe for broccoli rabe pizza in The Sunset Cookbook. What makes this pizza so delicious (and memorable — I’m pretty sure it’s one of their best sellers, but don’t quote me on that!) is a cheese and cream mixture that’s spread over the dough before baking. It’s incredibly rich, but not in a way that’s too heavy.
When I made this asparagus pizza, I decided to top the dough with cream. I know it’s not the healthiest of ingredients, but it adds a special something to the pizza. The key is to keep the rest of the pizza toppings light. Think green in-season vegetables instead of meat. I made it for a girlfriend who then made a variation for her boyfriend’s birthday, so be inspired to make your own cream-based creation.
White and Green Pizza
Olive oil for drizzling
1 store-bought pizza dough
1/4-1/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 heaping cups grated mozzarella
1/2 cup ricotta
4-6 stalks of asparagus, thinly shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 green onions, dark greens removed, and sliced on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon finely minced parsley
- Preheat the oven to 500°F. Oil a large cookie sheet and place in the oven. Make sure all of the topping ingredients are ready to go.
- Using a rolling pin or your hands, roll or stretch the dough into a large, flat, rectangular oval, a little smaller than the size of the cookie sheet.
- Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and place the pizza dough on top. It may start to sizzle, this is OK.
- Drizzle the cream over the top of the dough, one tablespoon at a time. Smooth out the cream like you would if you were putting tomato sauce onto the dough, making sure that every part of the dough is lightly coated.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top of the dough. Dollop teaspoons of the ricotta cheese evenly over the mozzarella.
- Cover the entire pizza with the thinly shaved pieces of asparagus. Sprinkle the green onions over the asparagus.
- Sprinkle the parmesan evenly over the top of the entire pizza. Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 15-18 minutes until the crust is crisp and brown, the asparagus is slightly tender, and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Let rest for 1-2 minutes, slice, and enjoy!
Serves 2.
