I had a shaved raw asparagus salad last month for the first time and was fascinated by it. It was tossed and tangled with olive oil, salt, pepper and a gratuitous amount of Parmesan cheese and while all of these things were wonderful, I felt they only interrupted the deliciousness that was the raw asparagus. I decided immediately that I had to make a pizza out of it, where the asparagus could be as uncluttered as possible.
Of course when I came home and Googled my idea — certain that nobody could have ever laid claim to such brilliance, such a stroke of asparagus genius, before me — I learned that I had been beaten to the punch by one Jim Lahey, who has apparently been serving a shaved asparagus pizza at Co. on 9th Avenue for months. Years, even. Foiled again! From Lahey, however, I learned all sorts of fancy-fancy things you can do with my simpleton ideas. For example, he shaves black truffles on to the pizza, and dots it with quail eggs. Lahey only uses extra virgin olive oil and forgoes the mozzarella entirely for knobs of tomme de savoie, a semi-firm French cow skim milk cheese with a gray rind that I have no doubt will raise this pizza to previously unimaginable heights of deliciousness.
But you will be relieved to know that even in the original, plebeian manner that I’d imagined it, this is a great pizza: tangled and grassy, bubbly and lightly charred, and accented with mild bites of scallion, wilted from the heat of the baked pizza. Once you’ve got your dough made (or procured), it comes together in no time, leaving your time free to handle the more urgent matters of a holiday weekend: feet up, frosty drink in hand, napping on a lounge chair in the shade of a tree*. Now get to it.
* [Rather than, say, celebrating a most adorable first toof with a light fever, a cough and some complaints with the management.]
More asparagus: In the archives.
More pizza: In the archives.
One year ago: Grilled Shrimp Cocktail and Graham Crackers
Two years ago: Haricot Vert with Shallots
Three years ago: Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
Shaved Asparagus Pizza
Makes 1 thin crust 12-inch pizza
1 recipe Really Simple Pizza Dough or your favorite pizza dough
1/2 pound asparagus
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 pound mozzarella, shredded or cut into small cubes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Several grinds black pepper
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Preheat your oven to the hottest temperature it goes, or about 500 in most cases. If you use a pizza stone, have it in there.
Prepare asparagus: No need to snap off ends; they can be your “handles” as you peel the asparagus. Holding a single asparagus spear by its tough end, lay it flat on a cutting board and using a vegetable peeler (a Y-shaped peeler works best here, but I only had a standard, old and pretty dull peeler and it still worked; a mandolin would also work, in theory, but I found it more difficult to do it that way), create long shavings of asparagus by drawing the peeler from the base to the top of the stalk. Repeat with remaining stalks and don’t fret some pieces are unevenly thick (such as the end of the stalk, which might be too thin to peel); the mixed textures give a great character to the pizza. Discard tough ends. Toss peelings with olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and be sure to try one — I bet you can hardly believe how good raw asparagus can taste.
Assemble and bake pizza: Roll or stretch out your pizza dough to a 12-inch round. Either transfer to a floured or cornmeal-dusted pizza peel (if using a pizza stone in the oven) or to a floured or cornmeal-dusted tray to bake it on. Sprinkle pizza dough with Parmesan, then mozzarella. Pile asparagus on top. Bake pizza for 10 to 15 minutes, or until edges are browned, the cheese is bubbly and the asparagus might be lightly charred. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with scallions, then slice and eat.
More ways to tweak this: Pinch of red pepper flakes (toss with asparagus), squeeze of lemon juice (over the asparagus, after you remove it from the oven), sprinkle of truffle salt or few drops of truffle oil (if you’ve got it; also at end) or up to 3 eggs (bake pizza for 8 minutes, break eggs on top, then finish cooking pizza and eggs together)
Finally, if you’ve got a grill going, this pizza seems almost destined for it. When I grill pizza, I throw the whole dough down on an oiled grill and let it cook for a few minutes on the underside. I pull it off with tongs, flip it out onto a plate and pile the toppings on the grilled side, before sliding the raw side back onto the grill. Grill the pizza with the lid down for a few minutes, or until everything is bubbly and brown.
This looks like summer on a pizza. Yum!
Ho boy! A toof! :D
Oh that’s beautiful! Will have to try this soon, although my pizza making skilz are lacking quite a bit.
Wow! You just blew my mind! I love the flavor of asparagus, but have never been a big fan of the texture of it when cooked. Never in a million years would I have thought to SHAVE it. This is beyond fabulous. I am now racing to the kitchen.
A pizza that won’t leave me feeling guilty? I’m in!
Not that I ever really feel that guilty…I mean it’s pizza.
this looks amazing. Co. also has a shaved asparagus salad that’s incredibly good–with mingling flavors of mint and avocado. OMG. but I digress. I may just have to use these toppings with the recipe for restaurant-style (thin crust) pizza dough just featured in the NYTimes …
your pics never cease to be stunning. I bet some prosciutto on this would be great too.
Wow! Looks amazing!!! Great idea! Can’t wait to try the dough too.
Oooh, shaving asparagus and putting it on pizza sounds like a great idea! What about shaving eggplant or fennel onto a pizza… I like it, you could go anywhere with this!
I LOVE the idea of shaving the asparagus! Pure genius! My latest favorite pizza has been carmelized onions, asparagus and gruyere (or goats cheese). Mmmm…..
I would put prosciutto on this!
OH MY! A TOOF!!! Somebody is getting to be a big boy! Before ya know it he’ll be helping Mommy in the Kitchen :)
Mmmm – pizza IS on my agenda tonight too…. But I bought an eggplant for it this time.
I thought I was sick of asparagus already but it turns out I just needed to see this recipe!
I’ve been totally taken with asparagus pizza this season, but hadn’t thought to take a peeler to them. It looks way funner. My version involves both your suggested red pepper flakes and lemon (zest instead of juice, though, post-oven). I also add goat cheese for a bit more tang, and anchovies (because I’m like that).
reminds me of your zucchini and goat’s cheese pizza which is so offbeat, yet i loved it so much when i made it.
Wow, definitely a fresh twist on asparagus. I’ve gotten really into it recently, so I’ll definitely give this a try when I have time.
By the way, looks like the typo fairies got you and your description of the tomme de savoie- ‘a semi-firm French cheese cow skim milk cheese’ (cheese is repeated twice).
I’ve made the shaved asparagus salad and thought it would be lovely on crostini for a party appetizer. But I LOVE the pizza idea. I am definitely going to be testing this out.
I am not a huge asparagus fan, but this just looks so beautiful I might have to give it a try!
I don’t know whether you can appreciate this, but storebought asparagus is usually awful. People could much better appreciate it if they ate it pulled freshly from the soil when it tastes ever so much like fresh peas, again, pulled from from the garden. I can think of no advantage of steaming or baking asparagus, except as a way to hide the loss of quality it experiences having been transported halfway across a continent so that you can have it available 24/7 at your local grocer.
My pizza dough is in the fridge slowly rising whle I decide what to top it with. I’m so glad I checked your blog before dinner, I fully intend to be eating this within the hour…
yay! looks delicious!
Your pizza dough recipe is very similar to mine, but mine doesn’t turn out chewy or crispy enough for my liking. Perhaps I’m not spreading it thin enough? In any case, your asparagus pizza looks and sounds divine!
That’s very creative! I love asparagus, never thought about shaving it. I have had it on pizza, though. YUM :)
Jenn
ooooo yes please.
Well, now I feel extra unoriginal. I recently made a “Peace ‘a Pie” (a.k.a. pizza pie) with asparagus, mostly to form a peace sign with the roasted stalks. Looked peaceful all right, but I suspect yours tastes more pizzaful. I’d go with yours.
What a great idea for a pizza! It looks fantastic and healthy and I love making pizza dough, it’s so much fun.
Magda
I don’t even like asparagus…I just skimmed the new recipe until I found the Jacob link! Still, it looks delish :-)
It’s going to be on the menu tonight…we’ll eat our pizza wrapped in quilts in front of the fire while watching reruns as it is STINKIN’ cold and rainy out! Summer doesn’t usually arrive until July 5th…so anything hot and yummy is what we’re after! Happy Mem. Day to you and Jacob could NOT be any cuter!! xo, Nan
just beautiful!!
This recipe is arriving just in time. I was planning to make pizza this weekend, and this is an intriguing combination with a fresh summer spin. Looks great!
What a perfect spring pizza!
that looks perfect for lazy summer days and gatherings of friends. I will have to try it. Also, Gripe Water can help with teething. I know a lot will say teether toys and a cold cloth, but my kid would never use them.
Oh, I can imagine drizzling streaks of hollendaise over this. Yes indeed.
In some pics of Jacob I see traits of Alex (more often), and some, you. He looks like such a happy little guy! Regarding toofs and teething, I was so glad my crib had plastic rail covers on it during the toofing period. The remains of my crib are currently on the East Coast somewhere. It’s been through our entire family’s broods of kids, so there are probably no rails unscathed by the little knawing beavers!
I once tried shave asparagus in pasta… it got kind of lost. But maybe that’s just because I’m a very inexperienced cook. I love shaved anything (eggplant, asparagus, zucchini), but they always get lost when I make them! This pizza looks lovely, and I agree, the uneven bits sometimes give unexpected fresh crunch, or the thin bits get crispy. Textures, baby.
Wei-Wei
That looks simply delicious! Too bad my asparagus bed only has spaghetti-slim stalks. Maybe at the farmers market!
awesome!! we are total asparagus lovers in this house–must make this weekend!!!
Yum! Mark Bittman has a great salad that pairs raw asparagus with mint and fava beans. Super springy and delightful.
Ahh this excites me so much – love asparagus and this pizza looks phenomenal.
Wonderful! It’s actually snowing today in my ridiculous city and I have yet to make it to the farmer’s market for local(er) asparagus, but this is yet more inspiration and encouragement to do so!
I found your site a couple of months ago, and have been continually impressed ever since. Today is no different! I have just recently gotten into making my own pizza dough, and have been looking for new pizza topping ideas. We are also HUGE asparagus fans (it’s one of our main veggie staples – I recently realized I’ve served it to our good friends every single time they’ve come for dinner!), and I can’t wait to combine these two sources of yumminess. Thank you!
This is the most original pizza I’ve seen. I love asparagus. It’s starting to go up in price again, so I’ll have to give this a try before my pocket book can’t afford it. :)
I bought some asparagus at a farmers market last weekend and shocked my companions by eating some of it raw. It’s so good! I always mean to do something interesting with it but I rarely get much of it home from the market when it’s in season – I eat it all on the way! This pizza looks like it might be worth the effort though.
Must try as soon as possible. You are a genius, even if you weren’t the first one to think of it. : )
This looks great. Beautiful simplicity.
I love asparagus. And pizza. And I just had a shaved asparagus salad like the one you described last night! I’m so down for this!
You always come up with the best things – so fresh and inspiring.
This sounds fantastic! I just made a pizza recently very similar to this but with baby bok choy, it was amazing!
I’m terrified of making dough. sigh! i might have to give in for this one, and crack an egg on it like ur breakfast pizza for sunday brunch.
this looks soooo good, brilliant!
God, shaved asparagus pizza sounds great! I love your pizza dough recipe, BTW, use it all the time.
And, oh, the adorableness of the Jacob!
Made this for a late lunch today – every bit as delightful as it looked!!!
This pizza was one of the most simple, yet best pizzas we’ve tasted, ever! it will be making an appearance in our kitchen again (hopefully not before too long)!
Any one who has hesitations should just give it a go. Peel more asparagus than you think you’ll need – and it’s not bad with the egg on top either, although, the pizza i think would benefit from being flatter if you were to do this.
didn’t have spring onion, but did lightly boil half a finely cut onion which worked as a good sub.
DELICIOUS!!
I made this for dinner, with a few modifications. I used about 3/4 a pound of asparagus and added grape tomatoes cut lengthwise underneath the asparagus. I actually put the parmesan on top as well as on the crust, which I think helped char the asparagus a little more. I also added a generous amount of red pepper flakes per Deb’s suggestion. I dusted the crust with olive oil and course sea salt.
My husband raved about this pizza, and we both thought it was reminiscent of the salad topped pizzas we’d eaten in Tuscany. In honor of Italy, I served the pizza with slices with muskmelon and strawberries.
Brilliant. We are pizza freaks in this house and make it at least once a week. I thought I had tried everything.
i just started reading your blog and i looove it. i’m not really a baker (yet) but i made your Best Birthday Cake and red velvet cupcakes to great applause last week.
annnnnd, i need to confess that i just made this pizza using a plain cheese DiGiorno because i was too lazy/impatient to make dough this time. and it was still pretty bomb.
that’s all.
I love, love, LOVE My Bread by Jim Lahey. I’ve used his recipes for potato pizza and pizza bianca and both were wonderful. Thanks for the reminder that his book’s been sitting on the shelf for too long! I’m pretty sure this recipe’s not in the book so it’s next on my list!
You couldn’t have posted this at a better time, Deb! Just last night we made your purple onion marmalade pizza. It was so delicious, I’ve been thinking about pizza ever since. Can’t wait to try this out!
What a coincidence! I had just discovered shaved asparagus when I tried the vegetable tasting menu at Thomas Keller’s Per Se in NYC and have been meaning to make it. I just made it this past week (though I have yet to post on it – plan on doing so this week). It’s so funny, ‘cuz I took an almost identical photo of myself shaving the asparagus too!
Lovely!!!
I also make a tasty shaved asparagus bruschetta with prosciutto and shaved parmesan. I grill the bread, toss the asparagus with a little balsamic or lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and then top the bread with the 3 items and briefly broil.
What a brilliant idea! I love this and can’t wait to try it! Yum!
xxMK
While the asparagus pizza looks amazing, it was Jacob’s picture that took my breath away. I could stare at him for hours…even days…. How on earth do you get anything done?!?
Just made this. YUM. Even my nine-year-old ate it; he says he likes asparagus now. (Because it was kind of a last-minute decision based on my husband’s bringing home a quantity of asparagus from Costco, I used a Pillsbury pizza crust-in-a-can. It was still delicious.)
Yum! Made this tonight with red sauce and hot italian sausage on the grill. It was delicious!
This looks so bright and delicious! I’ll have to bookmark for asparagus season.
The technique of shaving vegetables is so interesting; I once made Skye Gyngell’s amazing salad with shaved rhubarb, oranges, beetroot and fior di latte and it was incredible. The colours were AMAZING, but so was the idea of shaving the rhubarb and being able to eat it raw. Recipe is here, if you’re interested: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/salad-of-shaved-raw-rhubarb-blood-oranges-beetroot-and-fiore-di-latte-433660.html
This is simply lovely! I love the shaved asparagus, I’ve had it a million different ways but never like this, although I think this is going to change soon. Have you tried it with larger pieces of mozzarella? I definitely need to do this soon! By the way, could little Jacob -be- any cuter? Seriously. You made an adorable little person.
A sweet and savory hello from Frog Hollow Farm! I will definitely have to try this recipe – we have a very large patch of asparagus here at Frog Hollow Farm and I end up giving most of it away – it doesn’t freeze well for me and there’s only so much we can have as a veggie. We roast it in the oven and on the grill – really delicious. But this pizza…can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks! Ciao, bella!
My children are four and seven. I miss the baby days. I just looked through your photos and after an emotional day you managed to restore a smile on my face with those beautiful baby photos. Beautiful. Savor every moment, it goes so fast. And I know I am the 9999 person to say that to you- just as people said it to me.
What a wonderful idea. Love it. Have to give this asparagus pizza a try. Thanks.
Very fresh looking pastry that embraces spring produce. I would be very interested at the flavour of this pizza.
This is the best idea ever! Man, I love asparagus!
I am so into the idea of cubing mozzarella instead of shredding. Brilliant.
I also just made your lemony goat cheese pizza and it was a winner so this one will have to be next in line!
I love love LOVE asparagus, and cannot wait to try this with my special homemade pizza dough. I think, though – not to knock your recipe at all – that I will try it with dollops of ricotta rather than mozzarella – I’ve really been on that kick lately…
Thank you for this…it looks divine!
I had pizza dough from Trader Joe’s in the fridge, had just bought asparagus from the farmer’s market and saw this post in my google reader. It was fate. We made this tonight (with tomato sauce since we had some and my 1 year old is a tomato fiend) and it was incredible. Not only was the asparagus just amazing prepared this way, but I’ve also been cooking my homemade pizzas in a way too cold oven. 500 degrees for 15 minutes yielded a perfect crust. Yum!
In Portland, OR we have this awesome pizza cart (!) called Wy’east and recently I tried one of their amazing seasonal pies. It had asparagus, goat cheese, lemon zest, and chili flakes. It was absolutely one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had!
It sounds really good but I’m really curious about how you get such a thin crust. I am the queen of the really thick pizza crust. Every method I’ve tried from the slow rise/minimal yeast to the super fast rise/super hot oven, hand tossed or rolled out, gives me a thick crust. I do like a thick crust but I also want to be able to make a good thin crust.
I see one of these on my grill in the near future. Lovely!
While I didn’t make the pizza, I did make the shaved asparagus salad you mentioned for my dinner this evening – it was indeed a revelation. So simple, easy, and delicious! And any excuse to eat vegetables with parmesan is fine by me. Thanks for the fabulous idea!
What a brilliant idea, the pizza looks mouthwatering, I would like to bite in the picture already. Have to make that also one day !! Thanks for the tip !!
Your pictures are wonderful. I didn’t think it was possible to make pizza this exciting. Asparagus with an egg and maybe a few chilli flakes. Just posted a pizza dough recipe as part of the Fresh from the Oven challenge so will try it with that. Thank you.
Great pictures and fantastic combination!
Dear Deb, You are such an amazing writer as well as cook that I am sure you know that there is no apostrophe in “it’s” unless it is the contraction of “it is.” Made your raspberry everyday cake last night with an over-abundance of local strawberries and it was wonderful! Keep up the good work!
Deb — Ack, thanks. Fixed.
Hi!
First time caller, long time listener… ;)
How about Asparagus AND quail eggs. A match made in heaven!!
I like your description of ‘grassy’. :) You know, i just tried an Australian Olive Oil that tasted Grassy – it was really weird but delicous!
:D
S
Definitely have to make this pizza! It looks wonderful.
Love this. Love the photography as always. Random question for you – what is your favourite brand of flour? I keep reading I need to source good flour but am wondering whether this is just hokey nonsense and regular store bought will work.
Awesome! I made a modified version of this yesterday for a quick snack. Just a sprinkle of cheese on an herb tortilla and a mound of asparagus. Popped it in the toaster oven and I was not disappointed! I’ll have to make the pizza version one day!
Made this for dinner last night, sooo so good. I used your recipe for pizza dough, which is 10 times simpler and quicker than my old recipe, which I thought couldn’t be beat, this one beat it out! Will be using it from now on.
many happy thanks from a vegetarian pizza and asparagus lover!!!!
I love asparagus and so do my kids. We don’t eat pizza often but this looks like something I would like to try. Pepperoni is getting tired anyway. Thanks.
Carl
Asparagus Pizza? Yummo. Pour me a sauvignon blanc and call it summer! Ok, spring.
The pizza looks yummy! And the boy – sooooo cute. Ah – teething days. My husband recently put on his very seldom worn jacket and pulled out a tube of Baby Anbesol – which in combination with Baby Motrin was the only thing that got us and our little boo through some long nights during the “toofing” phase. Another suggestion I got (which didn’t work for us but works for some) is a frozen washcloth for the wee one to suck on. Anyway – I’m off to the market to find aspargus – thanks!
Hi Deb. :)
I just started my own blog a couple of days ago, and I wanted to compliment you on yours. Smitten Kitchen is the most attractive food blog on the web. I didn’t realize how much work it is to create a blog! Nevertheless, I love the food you try and you’ve inspired many of my kitchen adventures. The jewish apple cake and butternut chickpea salad are so good that I’ve made them twice, and I RARELY make anything twice. ;) Thank you for the inspiration.
This looks wonderful! At first, I wasn’t sure, but now this is a must try.
Yum! Zach, we should make this (:
I have pizza dough in the freezer. Looks like I will be making this soon. I love the pic of your boy. He is just sooo cute :)
Deb, That looks lovely as do all your recipes. I’m a fan and always excited and inspired by your blog!
Sooo I’m sort of a dork but as I was eating a salad that I made last night, i though of you, who i don’t even know and I thought to myself Deb would love this! I’m basing this on your slaw posts and crunchy salad comments. It was called the Emerald City Salad and from feeding the whole family: Cooking with whole foods. Its a cookbook that you can take a portion of what you make and give it to a 6 month old or a 1 yr. old. Love the Book, in love with the salad, just wish I had taken a photo for you:)
Jim Lahey is the MAN! Your pizza looks wonderful, too!
Oh, the cuteness! Someone should find a way to bottle it and sell it to cure the blues.
brilliant! and beautiful!
this looks absolutely incredible!!!!
I like your idea of zinging it up a notch with some chili flakes. Do you think shaved asparagus can also go into spaghetti, or they’d go limp soon?
oh delicious! I love this idea!
Deb, love this idea! Just got back from the Farmer’s Market with fresh asparagus, so I’ll have to give this a go. Love you photos, you make asparagus peeling look like art.
I have never thought to shave asparagus! That is an absolutely fabulous idea.
Amazingly, I had pizza dough AND asparagus that I wanted to use up. We made this tonight on the grill. I was super super excited to surprise my husband when he got home (because I knew it would be good because everything you make is nothing less than luscious) but upon his arrival I got cold feet. I was like, “shoot! what was i THINKING putting asparagus on pizza!?!?!?!?”
We ate it and LOOOOOOOVED IT. it was awesome. my husband had three thumbs up. EVen the kids ate it. Thank you for this slice of heaven. No, 6 slices. Because that’s how many I ate.
Scallions…for teething…I’m serious!
Give it a try–cut off the bulb and the stringy stuff, give your gorgeous babe the thick stalk. Make sure to take it away and cut off the strings if he gnaws it to death. Worked wonders for my son.
And that pizza is happening on my grill soon!
my favorite veggie on pizza? This looks too good to pass up. I’ve failed before with pizza dough but maybe i’ll be brave enough to give it a go again
Delicious! Made this for dinner with a whole wheat crust–in the oven, although we did consider grilling it. As my family is accustomed to using onions in almost every dinner, we used caramelized onions and sauteed garlic instead of scallions. We also used goat cheese, about 4 oz, and 3-4 oz mozzarella.
I’d never thought of shaving asparagus, but once I tossed it with some olive oil, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice, I could’ve eaten just that!
Why have I never shaved asparagus? I shave curls of carrots into salads, use zucchini curls on pasta… but why not asparagus? This pizza looks awesome. I’m so excited to try it – on the grill, of course! Yum!
This is beautiful and looks so delicious. What a great idea!
My partner and I made this last night for dinner and it was DELICIOUS! I wanted to come back and say thank you for the recipe =)
We added garlic and halved cherry tomatoes from the local farmers market. SO GOOD!!!
Love your blog.
I just made asparagus and pancetta flatbread and it was delicious, however my fiance wanted something with more cheese, so next we’ll be trying your recipe. In case you’re interested, here’s the flatbread recipe:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1041910
I love asparagus and I use them often in my recipes. They are very tasty and healthy.
This recipe seems delicious!!!
that toof kills me. i want that pizza.
I just polished off the last slice of your shaved asparagus pizza (it’s even good cold as a midnight snack!) I added a bit of parmesan cheese to the oil when i tossed the asparagus; and was rewarded with the most delightful bits of baked cheese nestled among the asparagus ribbons. I am a budding chef and your website is my go-to site for recipes (just before the Joy.)
Thank you!
This post inspired me to make pizza tonight making one’s own dough – holy moly – although I had no asparagus, there’s something to be said about making your own pizza from home. Thanks for giving me hope and faith that I CAN DO IT and not pick up the phone and dial in for delivery. :)
Sounds heavenly. I have to admit though I have never heard of this cheese tomme de savoie, Not sure where to find it locally in Ohio, I just got a great deal on Fontina that I think would pair well with this. What do you think? I’d of course, have to incorporate some garlic in there as well. I can’t have a pizza with out it and especially with Asparagas!
Asparagus and pizza, can’t beat that. Shaving I can do without…
I have picked so much wild asparagus as of late; what a delicious and unique recipe.
saw this recipe and knew we had some asparagus in the fridge, so had to try it. made it tonight for me and the boy, and BOY was it good. my first go at making yeast pizza dough too and thrilled by the results, and heclived it too. a big squeeze of lemon at the end really lifted it. delicious delicious delicious!! next time I think I might try it with some ribbons of prosciutto nestled amongst the asparagus. thanks for the recipe – all the way from Perth, Australia!
Mmmm … the quintessential spring pizza. No tweaks (red pepper flakes, truffle oil, etc) needed. I’m a purist when it comes to asparagus. Glad to see you didn’t spoil this with garlic!
i made that same salad you’re alluding to – very good!
Deb,
I made a delightful raw asparagus salad last weekend, but I struggled shaving the spears….I tried veg. peeler and my mandoline. Any tips? (no pun intended)
Yes! See my comment below – there is a tool that’s an asparagus peeler!
Oh my god, this looks ridiculously good. Perfect for spring. I’m tempted to throw some prosciutto on top as well, since pairs so well with both asparagus and pizza!
The pizza looks so pretty:) I use your recipe for pizza dough and my family loves it. Happy Memorial Day.
shaved asparagus i’ve never heard of such a thing! mmm and with the cheese…looks wonderful!
Hey Deb,
This recipe looks divine. Am I crazy or did you, at one time, have a brownie recipe that involved a bunch of different semi-spicy spices? I could have sworn I saw one on your website about a month ago (when I was looking through your impressive recipe archive) and now it seems to have disappeared. Thanks a bunch!
R. — You might be looking for this brownie. I need a Brownie sub-category, obviously!
Oh my goodness, I made this last night and it was maybe the best pizza I’ve ever made. Getting excited just thinking about the leftovers in my fridge. Thank you!
This looks perfect! I might have to put some sort of meat on one side to get my honey to eat it, but that’ll do!
Came across your blog by chance and found this wonderful recipe. Can’t wait to surprise my family with this treat. I also like the salad idea. Be well!
Looks great! Such a wonderful Pizza.
Man, oh man. My husband the carnivore wanted pizza for his birthday today, so I made him his meaty mess, with your asparagus pizza in my corner. The asparagus was phenomenal! Such a nice change from the ol’ bell pepper-mushroom-onion thing I usually do. Your recipes make my tummy so happy!
we have made this twice in the last two days, once for dinner and once grilled in tiny form as appetizers for a party. either way, it was amazing. we used parmesan and a truffle cheese instead of mozzarella and it was delicious. also a little lemon zest was nice. when you laze out and use refrigerated trader joe’s pizza dough, it takes no time at all, too. thanks!
i had a asparagus pizza in a small italian trattoria recently. they left the spears whole, added mushed up truffle (heavenly!) and an whole egg in the centre. The egg yolk was still oozy and gorgeous. Simply the best combination of flavours on a pizza. Though, the asparagus took a back seat in this one. – shaz from Singapore
i was just trying to think of some ways to use the asparagus that was so enticing looking at my local farmers market this weekend- this is perfect!
We JUST made this — so delicious. Thanks for posting.
We added artichokes and slivers of smoked gouda, which worked wonderfully.
(Oh, and we cut the parmesan)
Yum, that looks beautiful and delish!!
This sounds delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe and your wonderful blog. I can’t wait for your cookbook!
I really HAVE to make this pizza! I wish our asparagus was ready to harvest. I’m sure you’ve received plenty of unsolicited advice, but… Hyland’s Teething tablets. Look in the natural section. You might not even need the Tylenol. He’s adorable! Good luck with the teething… 6 year molars here. Not fun!
I just made this and it’s amazing! The scallions are just delish on this. At first I thought adding the egg would be weird, but next time I make this I’m definitely going to add it!
yum anything with asparagus has my name on it!
Lovely. The man (who is a dyed-in-the-wool meat & potatoes farm boy) was pretty skeptical of a meatless pizza, and therefore dinner, but was won over by the slightly runny egg. I took a “Good to the Grain” approach and made my crust with a mix of whole wheat bread flour, spelt and buckwheat, and this pizza was kismet as I found asparagus, parmigiano and a gorgeous local smoked mozz all on sale at my co-op yesterday.
I just made this for dinner and I added alfredo sauce (I like sauciness..) and it was deeeelicious! The asparagus is so yummy!
This was totally delicious. Had no Mozzarella so added Fontina instead and some caramelised shallots. so fresh and yummy. thanks
CURSES!!! (shaking fist of fury at the ceiling) I saw this AFTER the mister and I had pizza night this weekend!! Will have to make a note of this for next year’s asparagus season …
Made this with some gorgeous, CHEAP farmer’s market asparagus this weekend. Yum! I pretty much failed at peeling the spears, but did my best and just piled it all on top and it was amazing!
Holy moly, I just bought asparagus on Sunday with plans of quiches, soups, and salads — but that all went out the window as soon as I saw this. THANK YOU for the inspiration!! :)
-Alison
I just had to chime in to say that this is DELICIOUS, and your dough recipe is DIVINE. I doubled the dough recipe and don’t regret it, though next time I think I will go for the thinner crust version — I’m sure will be just as delicious, and will be loads more sensible :) I squeezed some lemon juice over the pizza as soon as it came out of the oven, and otherwise followed the recipe just as written. I always have such great success with your recipes! Thank you!
I’ve been looking for quick dinner ideas for the summer months, and I have to add this to my list. I imagine it would also work well with the carrot harissa salad as well (which I’ve made twice in as many weeks) if you have a bit of leftovers on hand.
He is so cute in that picture! How do you even handle it?
This looks so light and summery! Thanks for the recipe.
Yet another reason why I must plant an asparagus patch! Been enjoying your communications for a few months now and am so glad to have found you, via Saveur. TIP: When I use the pizza stone I lay my dough on a piece of parchment paper, add toppings, then slide the whole thing, including paper, onto the stone. So much easier for the novice.
OMG this looks sooooo good!! I actually just had shaved asparagus salad for the first time on Friday (I’m a little late on the asparagus game) and loved it. I can’t wait to try making this!
I am about to get some fresh asparagus from the farmers market and this is what is on the menu tonight for dinner! big big thanks!!!
would white asparagus work?
This looks like heaven — I really appreciate how so many of your recipes are appropriate to two-person households! All the other crust recipes I’ve seen yield enough dough to get you through a nuclear winter, and I know you can freeze it, but … frostbite is icky/ubiquitous.
I want to try this pizza! I really like your blog. I am sure that this food smells fantastic. Greetings from the other side of the ocean. And please – please do not stop posting. Have a nice day!
Had to comment on this one. Truly delightful!! I used your pizza dough recipe and did the half ww flour. It took longer to rise, but put it in a warm place and it popped right up. And, the ww flour (I think) made it hard to get thin, but added a really nice flavor. Will try rolling out half the dough the next time as there was plenty and believe you that it should be thin. As to the topping, I followed as directed but did add the red pepper flakes at the end on mine. I am sure that other toppings would be good too, but, sometimes, fewer is better. This is one of those times.
Wow. Really good. Really really good.
This pizza is phenomenal! I made it for dinner tonight and even my picky non-asparagus loving husband said it was awesome! I used the recipe for the really simply homemade pizza crust with 1/2 whole wheat flour and the whole thing was perfect. Thank you for my new summer go-to dish!
Not joking, this pizza is so good we made it two nights in a row, amazing.
This recipe combines two of my favorite foods Asparagus and Pizza. This looks like a nice healthy alternative and will definitely be tried.
OMG. I made this tonight with a clove of garlic (minced), red pepper flakes, a touch of truffle oil, squeeze of lemon AND eggs. My boyfriend and I died. One bite and it was over, pizza heaven. I can’t believe how worried I was about the dough – totally uncalled for. I don’t even own a pizza stone or pan, I just used the back of a cookie sheet and it worked beautifully. THANK YOU!!
who would have known asparagi got so hairy they need a shave?
The pizza looks lovely :)
i love to make pizzas, and lately have been very lazy and using tortilla wraps as base! i wonder what shaved asparagus taste like! will definitely try! thank you!
i made this last night. after leaving the farmers market with my asparagus in hand i hurried home and heated that oven up and made the family personal asparagus pizzas on whole wheat pizza crust and part-skim mozz and the asparagus. . and yes by the way they are amazing raw when they are all mixed with olive oil!!! it was a hit and i saved half of mine for lunch today!
Made this on Monday and it was great. Updated with crushed red pepper flakes, roasted red peppers, and last minute decision to add leftover bacon from the previous days BLT’s! Awesome.
THANK YOU for this divine recipe, the best pizza I’ve eaten in years. I GF’d the crust for my celiac family members (incl. me). Did everything else as instructed, and it was so good my eyes rolled back and I slavered. Really slavered. I’ve just discovered your blog recently, and have succeeded with everything I’ve tried GF-fing – New York Cheese Cake, dear LORD it was good!!! By the way, cutest baby ever. Congratulations on all of it.
I made this for dinner last night and it was delish. Added goats cheese and prosciutto, but don’t think either were necessary. I used Trader Joe’s pizza dough, which I love, and they only had purple asparagus, which was pretty.
Photos here: http://www.sassandfrass.com/post/656796614/i-made-smitten-kitchens-shaved-asparagus-pizza
I made this for dinner tonight—awesomely good!! But alas…my pizza dough, sigh… I don’t know what I did wrong. I used your simple pizza dough recipe, let it rise once, then refrigerated it for a few hours until I was ready to make the pizza. Should I have let it get to room temp before I attempted to force it into a 12″ circle? Poor thing kept wanting to return to the lump it started out as. I tried rolling and stretching and it would spring back just as I was approaching some semblance of a circle. I finally gave up at a kind of squat oval(ish) state and baked it on a pizza stone. It wouldn’t have won any beauty prizes, but it sure tasted good! I’m about resigned to return to the nondescript store-bought dough!
I just made this for dinner and it was superb. I will definitely be making this again soon!
Just made this… so delicious!!!! Used fresh ricotta instead of mozz, yum:)
I made this pizza last night for dinner, and added a few sliced fresh tomatoes, and it was fantastic! I have a question about the cornmeal though — every time I make pizza, the excess cornmeal that peaks out from under the dough turns black, smokes up and sets off my fire alarm. Any tips on keeping the cornmeal from initiating a building-wide fire drill?
I made this, and it was excellent! The flavors of the semi-raw asparagus and the green onions combined in a really nice way. One of the other commenters mentioned that raw asparagus reminds them of fresh peas, and the green onions really brought out the fresh pea flavor for me. Yum!
I love asparagus! What an interesting idea — will definitely give it a try!
i followed your directions for the pizza dough (and being italian, i’ve tried lots of recipes so far), and i have to say that yours wins the test with flying colours!!!
Oh my, my, my…….
This is amazing – I thought I didn’t like the texture of asparagus either, but shaving is such a novel idea and I loved how it turned out! My love and I made this the other night, adding chopped garlic and using feta instead of mozzarella (REALLY GOOD!). I’m now devouring the leftovers as my lunch. :-) Thanks Deb! (and congrats to the big boy with his first chomper)
I made this last night and loved it! I am in the habit of getting small asparagus and it didn’t shave very beautifully. Next time I make this (and there will be a next time!) I will get larger asparagus! I think that would work a lot better. Thanks for the great recipe!
Holy moly, Deb, this is amazing! I made this for dinner tonight — we didn’t have scallions on hand, so I threw some garlic in with the asparagus and olive oil. DELICIOUS. Even though my proportions of dough to everything else were a little off (every time I make pizza, I make a mental note to use 2/3 to dough next time, and every time I forget about previous mental notes), it was amazing. I also drizzled a little truffle oil on one of my slices (boyfriend’s not crazy about truffles), and … wow. Wow.
This is such a winner! Thank you so much!
Quickly whipped this up tonight in about 20 minutes and it’s a new favorite in our house. Thanks for the beautiful pictures that made it look oh-so appetizing. I added some crumbled blue cheese instead of mozzarella and included the lemon at the end. Final twist – fresh diced tomatoes. Yummers!
I made this for a quick dinner last night — so good. I added some prosciutto and used leeks instead of scallions, based on what I had in the fridge – it was great and so easy for a weeknight meal.
I made this for dinner last night, and it was fantastic!
This looks so tasty. I love asparagus and when it is in abundance I indulge.
OMG this is so delicious! I made this for dinner the same day I read the recipe. Didn’t have any scallions so went without. Spread some basil pesto on the base and used mozzarella…had run out of Parmesan too. Turned out awesome nonetheless! The shaved asparagus concept is fabulous…my husband and I ended up eating half the dressed asparagus before it could make it to the pizza! Will try and upload a few pictures.
This. was. amazing.
The raw asparagus is a revelation! I made this pizza tonight with the addition of a few sauteed slices of portobello. Finished with a drizzle of truffle oil and a thin slice of proscuitto.
My oxo peeler didn’t do the job very well (like the one pictured above). My mandolin was no better. The solution for me was my spatula-style cheese slicer…worked great!
I just made this for dinner. I kept to your recipe minus the scallions (didn’t have any on hand) and went with the drizzle of truffle oil at the end. It was DIVINE! Not only does it taste absolutely delicious, it’s beautiful, too. Thank you for this recipe!
My skeptical boyfriend loved it! I used red onion instead of scallions. Delicious!
I live next door to Co. and eat there all the time, but I’ve never seen this on the menu. I will have to try it… or try yours!
Like #191 Priscilla’s boyfriend, my husband has been skeptical about the whole idea of pizza being dinner, and my first two wan attempts didn’t change his mind. But this one made him a believer. It made an absolutely delicious Sunday night supper. Thank you, Deb!
To #172 Joan with the recalcitrant dough: When it wants to spring back on you, dust it with flour, cover it with plastic wrap, and walk away for 10 minutes. When you come back, it should yield, but you might need to do this in a couple of stages.
Help! Can you tell me the difference between white and black truffle oil? Which one is better to keep on hand?
This was so timely and easy. I had some asparagus in the fridge that needed to be used or fed to the compost heap pronto. I used the pizza dough from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. I got frustrated trying to shave the asparagus so I just chopped it up (like the scallions). I even forgot to mix the ingredients in a bowl first, so the oil and seasoning were added once the veggies were on the dough. It didn’t matter. It was still delicious. Maybe I’ll add some caramelized onions next time.
Made this yesterday for lunch – so good! I was lazy and used Pillsbury Thin Crust pizza dough, which was a bit thick but still good. Also made on a regular cookie sheet, so I had a square pizza, but it cooked up fine.
Definitely saving this one as a summertime treat!
Oh my! I love the idea of the shaved asparagus! I’m definitely going to have to try this and I’m thinking about adding a bit of goat cheese…
Wonderful post!
I made this pizza this weekend for some girl friends and it was AWESOME! I was lazy and went to Trader Joes and bought their pizza dough in a bag and it made for a medium crust pizza and took longer to cook as a result (more like 15-20 minutes). I had a hard time stretching and rolling it out to a thin crust. I made mine on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and it was fine. I am sure a pizza stone would help and keep the crust nice and crunchy. I added some tomatoes to the top (I happened to have on hand) and it was great. I used little balls of fresh mozzerella and cut them in half and spread them around the pizza. Next time I will buy the little round grape tomatoes and also cut those in half and spread around the pizza like the mozzerella. I had a little extra leftover shaved asparagus and added it to the side salad that we prepared to go with dinner. It was amazing and this recipe will definitely be used again. Thank you SO MUCH!
Just made this. Wonderful. AND, it was myfirst time making pizza dough (glowing with pride). I made the rhubarb tarts for my supper club this past weekendand those were a hit too! THe pizza was a big hit with husband! Thanks!
This was delicious! I never thought to eat asparagus like this. Thanks!
Thank you! This was incredible. My husband is still raving about this recipe.
Made this last night with a couple of tweaks and it turned out FABULOUS. This will be a repeat performance for certain.
Here’s what we did:
-put a touch of olive oil down first on the crust
-used Fontina and fresh ricotta cheese instead of mozzarella
-used fresh-cracked peppercorns and a wee bit of red pepper flakes for flavor.
I made a variation of the pizza last week and it was wonderful. but because of this post I seem to have become addicted to shaved asparagus. I made an insanely good Asian cold noodle salad with raw shaved asparagus as a sub for bean sprouts.
Well, go on vacation, miss a lot!! Raw asparagus = nirvana to me. I cannot wait to grill this pizza for my next wine & girl’s night. Which may be on Friday of this week if I have my way!! This looks fan-freaking-tastic.
it is 9am in the morning and because of your post I cannot wait to make this for dinner. Ahhh! to smell the moment when the cheese melts and the dough crackles into life as I have a sip of wine….
I just made this. I used my go-to whole wheat crust (about 25%) and it was a major hit. can’t wait to make it again.
thanks again for a great recipe.
I’ve made this twice since you posted it. Each time I followed your pizza dough tip for working moms: throw the dough together in the morning, put it in the fridge, and when you come home from work, your dough is ready; the second time I made it, I threw the dough together in six minutes flat. The pizza is fabulous…just the thing for the end of the northern California asparagus season.
Two firsts: my first post here, and my first ever homemade pizza! This pizza in a word: divine. I agree completely with the posts above; although I have always chosen skinny asparagus at the store, fat asparagus is definitely the way to go for an easy and beautiful shaving experience. Also, due to an incident with bugs earlier in the week, I had only Jiffy corn mix in the pantry to prevent the dough from sticking. What a lucky find! Although I’m sure Deb frowns upon even purchasing Jiffy, the little bit of sweetness added enormous value. Will make again soon!
I made this pizza yesterday and it was amazing!! Will make again (and again). Can’t wait to make it for friends this summer.
It looks great…doesn’t do alot for a pizza!…After trying it, I would never do it again…RJelli
Thank you for the incredible pizza recipe; it might just be the new favorite! I really enjoy your website.
I love to add something green to my pizza but shaved asparagus? What a revelation! Thank you thank you thank you.
I made this last night for a father daughter night with my dad! He is not the biggest asparagus fan and I knew I was going out on a limb with this as he skeptically stated before it went in the oven “there is a lot of green on there!” I added some red pepper flakes and some garlic scapes (my first time using these, they came in my csa package) and it was just delicious. Dad went back for thirds! A true success! I used trader joes crust too, as it was an impromptu dinner and it was the perfect size for the two of us, with a bit left over. The pizza stone cracked about 20 minutes after coming out of the oven, any tips to help that from happening in the future?? Also, how wonderful would this be with zucchini and yellow squash! Mmmmm!
Thank YOu for posting this helpful Information about “shaved asparagus pizza”. I like it. just keep on posting. :)
Thank you for this recipe! This was the first pizza I ever made and it was so so good. I added quail eggs and a little truffle salt. Divine!
This was so tasty, but shaving the asparagus with a peeler took a while so I used a cheese slicer instead which proved much easier. Place asparagus flat on cutting board and pull the cheese slicer across it in the opposite direction from the base toward the tip. Yum!
Made this tonight and it was awesome. The asparagus peeling did take a while. I peeled from two sides and then used whatever was left from the middle as well (couldn’t tell from the recipe if that was right or not). Also used two scallions. Next time will try the egg version! Also, couldn’t believe how easy the crust recipe was–mixed it up at 2:45, punched down at 5, and cooked at 5:45…it was great (although our kitchen is cool right now). Our oven goes to 550 so that probably helped for the crispy crust as well.
Just made this pizza alongside a couple of others – it rocked. We had some difficulty shaving all the asparagus, but eventually succeeded with a sharp chef knife at a very shallow angle.
Use fresh, quality cheese and make sure to season the asparagus well. The few ingredients you use constitute all the flavor, so don’t skimp on the cheese! We also tossed the shaved asparagus with some crushed garlic and it was delish.
Enjoy!
This was excellent, but too salty. I think the salt in the cheese would be enough, or maybe just a touch tossed with the asparagus. 1/2 teaspoon was way too much.
So I was looking for a recipe to use a beautiful bunch of asparagus I had, and I remembered you made this pizza. As I read through, imagine my surprise when I saw tomme de savoie mentioned, a bit of cheese I sampled at my co-op earlier this week, and purchased, because I was in love. Guess what I’m having for dinner, tonight!
I love your blog, and your son is gorgeous, and I can’t wait for you cookbook!
Thanks so much for the recipe! I’ve made the asparagus pizza twice and one topped with brown and enoki mushrooms (with parmesan, tomato paste, garlic, and basil). Amazing. I didn’t have a pizza stone, so I swung by the hardware store and picked up a $2.24 slate tile. It’s now breaking apart from all of the heating, but it worked fabulously in a pinch!
Love the blog!
Wow – where has shaved asparagus pizza been all my life? I’ve been lusting at this ever since it was first posted, but just made it this weekend. Boy, it’s awesome! It’s taken pizza to a whole new level for me. Thank you so much! I also made the pesto potato salad last night, which rocked as well. Wonderful recipes!
I just posted on this delicious recipe of yours! Thought I’d just let you know – we are eating it weekly, it’s just so darn good!
Happy summer to you,
Trina
Hey Deb, long time fan, first time caller — this recipe is great, especially since it pointed me in the direction of the simple pizza dough, which goes with pretty much anything :) I used a peeler like the one in the picture (OXO) and was having some trouble shaving the stalks, especially since my asparagus spears were a little on the thin side. I had the most success holding the tool in place and pulling the spear against the blade, which gave me decent control over the thickness. After that, things went together quickly and the finished product was great. Thank you for the inspirational site!
What a great pizza this turned out to be! I’ve grilled and made this twice already, it’s just that good! We spruced ours up a bit using pesto, some roasted tomatoes, and grilled chicken. It’s is the perfect summer fare! Thanks for another great idea and inspiration!
Just made this a couple nights ago – as always, your recipes never fail me. Luckily I was eating alone that night, since I promptly gobbled up half the pizza and then saved the rest for lunch the next day. It wasn’t as heavenly on day 2 (the crusts are never as good the next day), but it was still delicious and got some ooos and aahs in the break room.
I recommend using asparagus with thick stalks as I could only shave about half of a thinner stalk with a vegetable peeler and my benriner mandoline was useless for the task. I love tossing shaved asparagus with lemon, olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and pecorino romano. You’ve inspired me to make my own pizza now, thanks!
Just made this tonight and it was fantastic. I threw two pressed gloves of garlic in with the asparagus, olive oil and s/p, then topped with crushed red pepper and wow. We’re trying it on the grill next time! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes. I love this great space you’ve created on the interwebs.
I made this for a pizza party that I held and it was a hit….I love the asparagus topping so much! And had made shaved asparagus salads since. Thanks for sharing!
Deb! I made this heavenly pizza (and the dough!!) last night for my parents and it was hands down the best pizza I’ve ever had. The crust is just.. there are no words. Made a double batch (2 c. AP flour and 1 c. wheat was the perfect mix for us) and had a BLT pizza along side the lovely shaved asparagus version. I’m seriously in love with your pizza crust. Thank you SO much for sharing. Never having pizza out again. Ever!
Fantastic. Best crust ever. Great toppings.
Oh.My.Gosh. This recipe combines two of my great loves and takes them to the most surprisingly wonderful whole other level of amazing awesomeness. They only had shoestring asparagus at the store so I just sliced it on a thin diagonal. The two of us ate the whole thing…
Made this for lunch yesterday and we loved it! It was so wonderful I made another for dinner. It is the best pizza I have ever eaten. And so easy to make too.
I’ve made this pizza twice in two weeks, the second time by request. I really can’t believe how good the raw asparagus is, and would venture to say I may now prefer asparagus raw. I’m a first time commenter, but a frequent visitor of SK. Deb, thanks for sharing such great recipes, photos and anecdotes!
I made this on a Friday night as an Easy date night recipe for me and the Bf. It was simple, but tasty. Thank you:)
Wow. I made this tonight with my own pizza dough and some fresh olive oil and it was absolutely amazing. Thanks so much for this unique combination.
Tried my hand at making my first ever home made pizza, dough and all! It was delicious! I was so excited to try it that I forgot the scallions. Oh well, I will remember next time. Thanks!! Putting the pics on Facebook as we speak/type.
I made this tonight with my own pizza dough and shaved provolone in place of shaved parmesan. ummm…..it was so amazing. I LOVE shaved asparagus! Who knew?! thanks for the awesome recipes :)
We had cheese and asparagus at home and so I decided to try this recipe. IT WAS A HIT! :D Thank you for sharing! I’m gonna make it again before the year ends! :D
I was determined to put asparagus on some pizza tonight and ran across your post. Shaving the asparagus was brilliant. I added some thinly sliced, dry-salami, slivered a few garlic cloves and put on a pinch of red pepper flakes…fantastic.
I made this last night, and it was very delicious. The only thing is that I added the eggs when you suggested, and they ended up being undercooked. I still had to take the pizza out of the oven, though, because the crust was getting quite dark. In the end, I had to pop my slice in the microwave for 30 seconds to get the egg to firm up. Next time I will probably skip the eggs, but it is definitely still worth making again.
MMMM, sounds great! I think I’m going to try this for a simple Valentine’s Day get together on Monday evening. Thanks for the suggestion!!
Oh yea! This was delicious!!! My friend and I made it last night for a group of friends (on V-Day) … and it turned out wonderful!! Everyone ate it up! We bought a couple batches of fresh raw dough from Whole Foods, rolled it out, topped it just as you suggested … and it turned out perfect! We were a little confused about not having a sauce … but the marinade and juices from the asparagus, and oils from the cheese, totally make that unnecessary. Thanks Deb. I totally appreciate your creative insight, delicious creations, and impressive photos! With love from Colorado…..
I might just have to replicate this with the asparagus leftover from my most recent post! Thank you!
Wow, 244 comments on this. Amazing. Thanks for this recipe. I am OBSESSED with making pizza and just also started a food blog of my own. Seems like a really healthy version, I’d like to try it with a whole wheat crust! mmm
We’re making this RIGHT NOW.
Thank you so much for this idea! I had seen it on your site awhile back, and it stuck in my mind. I had three bunches of asparagus that needed using (I used two on the pizza) and immediately knew I had to recreate your idea for using it this way. LOVED IT. So simple and super flavorful. Huge fan of your work.
Deb- Just making this, as I brought back my first batch of spring asparagus from the market this weekend. Added goat cheese and red pepper flakes, was delicious!
Awesome. A pizza flavor I’ve never had before nor would expect. My wife made it for us tonight: http://mywifeisperfect.blogspot.com/2011/04/asparagus-pizza.html Thanks!
This pizza turned out amazing!
Thank you for sharing!!
I had to try this new way to enjoy asparagus – tasty! Also never occurred to me to make shaved asparagus salad…hmmmm.
Just made this for dinner tonight. Absolute perfection!! Made it with the eggs, and highly recommend one last sprinkling of kosher salt and a squeeze of lemon after you take it out of the oven. Spring deliciousness.
I’ve made this at least three times since you posted it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Deb. Your snappy new ideas, delightful prose and well-tested, easy to follow recipes never fail to bring sunshine to my life and kitchen. Bravo!
This was a delicious disaster.
I used some tasty buffalo mozzarella, which was indeed tasty, but was way too watery for the pizza and resulted in a soggy (but, again, delicious) mess.
I could have sworn I’ve used this brand of cheese before on pizza, but maybe I used more this time, or my oven wasn’t hot enough? Luckily, even a failed pizza is still pretty darn good.
Any recommendations for certain types of mozzarella to use?
I’m sorry the pizza didn’t work out but you reminded me to add a tip I’ve picked up in the year since I’ve made this: don’t use buffalo mozarella. I know! Every cooking show/blog/magazine is extolling the virtues these days of pizza with the freshest mozzarella but although I would eat buffalo mozarella plain any day of the year with glee, it has a water content that’s unfriendly to pizza. If you’re going to go very very easy on the cheese (this recipe uses a lot) you can use it. Otherwise, look for one that hasn’t been kept in water. Hope that helps for next time.
i made this for my mum for mother’s day, and she loved it! she went back for serving after serving, it was brilliant. :3 thanks for the amazing recipe.
I just made this for brunch with a minor changes that I feel compelled to share: I made it with fontina cheese and I added eggs (ala the breakfast pizza). Between 3 people, it was gone in about 2.5 seconds, and I’m surprised it lasted that long.
I just made this, it was perfect. My oven doesn’t get super hot so it took an extra 10 minutes to cook, but it still came out cripsy and delicious.
Thanks for the tip, Deb!
Cooking is all about learning experiences — pizza, especially. My husband didn’t believe me about the cheese being the problem, so next time we made pizza, we put buffalo mozzarella on his half of the pie :) He still enjoyed his watery pizza.
Made this successfully the second time with some non-buffalo mozz.
I was so excited to discover asparagus at the farmers’ market last week, because I’ve been waiting almost a year to make this recipe. It was just delicious, and I was delighted to finally taste fresh, raw asparagus. I’m addicted!
mmm another winner! I made this with mushrooms and asparagus today & cooked some eggs on top (my first time!) and it came out fabulously!!! I love your recipe for pizza dough, so easy and delicious. can’t believe i waited this long to try this recipe!
I should try this one out. Looks delicious!
This was delicious! I’d never had asparagus raw before, and I could have eaten the whole bowl before putting it on the pizza. Will definitely be trying out the ribboned asparagus salad ASAP.
Made this for a recent dinner party with just a couple slight alterations, and it was a HUGE hit!!
Thanks for the great recipe! I put the shaved asparagus on top of a pea pesto and added some wholemeal flour to the bread mix:)
I picked up some gorgeous, fat asparagus at the farmers’ market today, and searched for recipes to use them. I added some shredded prosciutto between the cheese and asparagus, but otherwise stuck with your recipe. Fabulous! I’d definitely make it again.
I used my Farmer’s Market asparagus to make this for dinner last night and it came out splendid!!! It was my first time making pizza dough using your simple pizza dough recipe. The dough had a bit of hard time rising, but it began to rise better when I put it in a warmer part of the room for another hour – not sure why that it. It came out perfect (even without things like a rolling pin)!! To the recipe, I also added leftover white onions and sprinkled on some garlic powder. I skipped the mozzarella and instead just used a grated Parmesan-Romano-Asiago mix – which was the perfect flavor combo w/the asparagus. I reserved a bit of cheese and the asparagus mixture for lunch today and used this on top of pita bread bread I had in the freezer, so I was able to stretch this out to two meals for two people. Total cost for two days of the finest pizza – $10. Thank you!
the only problem with this recipe is that I took it to a potluck, placed it on the table, came back in 5 minutes for a slice, and it was GONE. Therefore, until I make it again, I am merely left to deduce that it was delicious. :)
I made this pizza tonight and it was delicious. The only problem was that it was very watery. Do you think that I used too much asparagus or didn’t dry the stalks well enough before adding the oil, salt and pepper?
Sorry, I was looking at the previous posts and wanted to add that I did not use buffalo mozzarella. Thanks.
Even if you aren’t a huge asparagus fan, trust me, asparagus pizza is good. I made it using Boursin herb & garlic cheese along with mozzarella and it made a really elegant appetizer at a cocktail party. I also short on time and used a Pillsbury pizza crust – still awesome!
This was phenomenal. We added sliced grape tomatoes to top the asparagus, adding color and a just-detectable sweetness. We used a combination of mozzarella, Parmesan, and gruyere cheese which was lovely. I will definitely be preparing asparagus this way in the future; it was so easy and no heat required! They reminded me of raw artichoke hearts; tender and crisp at the same time. Yuuum!
Just finished up my slice of this recipe and it was delightful!
WOW! is all I can say. I added crushed red pepper for a little bite! Wonderful!!!
Just served this at a dinner party last night along with the mushroom lasagna from your site. The only thing I would change is to make two pizzas next time! The guys were practically ready to throw down to see who would get the last slice. Love your site and can’t wait for your cookbook to come out.
@Adell…just did the same as you along with a bit of goat cheese and absolutely loved this pizza! Will always be on the menu at our place.
Dear Deb,
Your pizza inspired me to make pear and asparagus pizza and blog about it! And it was delicious and was my lunch all this week. Thanks :) – Shivani
My boyfriend and I made this last night and we LOVED it! We added some thinly sliced mushrooms for some extra veggies. Question: if we wanted to try this with goat cheese, how would you recommend doing so?
Leah
Hi Leah — You could soften the goat cheese and spread it thinly underneath the asparagus, like I do in this recipe.
This was great! We loved the addition of a squeeze of lemon juice over the top. One more thing we added and really liked: a head of roasted garlic, spread over the crust before the parmesan.
Shaved asparagus + pizza?? Perfect! Thanks for the inspiration!
Helloe hello, this looks soooooo yummy…. I was wondering if it would make a different in the type of asparagus you use. We almost only got the white asparagus in Germany… you think you can use it just as the green one you got in the States?
Thank you for your response
Ela
P.S. the bf just looooooooooves the thick oatmeal raisin cookies ! ! !
I make this one often, but I usually throw on some freshly crisped bacon and crack two or three eggs on as well. One of my all-time favorite recipes.
Made this last night, with thinly sliced spring garlic under the cheeses (mozz and fontina) and it was delicious, the squeeze of lemon was perfection! Thanks for another simple and crazy good recipe!
I’ve made this a few times recently (using my own dough) and I prebake the crust for about 8 minutes, remove it from the oven and brush it with pesto (homegrown & homemade of course) while it’s still hot. Then I thinly slice a fresh mozzarella “log” and strategically place the rounds on the crust before covering it with the shaved asparagus that’s been tossed with EVOO, freshly shredded parmesan and a little truffle salt. It’s a huge hit for family and friends…thanks for thinking of it. BTW I love Jim Lahey’s No Knead Bread but I love my pizza dough better than his:)
My 3rd Smitten Kitchen Cookbook meal this week :) I snuck in some leftover zucchini and onions that I had cooked up Ratatouille-sub-style earlier this week. Delish!
Hi Deb, I just bought your book in the UK and am making this pizza. I always find that my mozzarella makes a lot of liquid when I put it in the oven. any suggestions on overcoming this? Thanks Laura
Laura — Use a firmer mozzarella, one that does not come in water. If you cannot find one, drain it on towels a bit before using it.
Hi Deb,
I heard Faith Middleton interview you on the Food Schmooze recently and ran to the nearest bookstore to buy your book. I love it! Just made the shaved asparagus pizza — crust and all — exactly as you wrote it: no substitutions, no additions. The shaved asparagus tastes so novel! It was a delicious big hit in our house. Thank you :)
I made this tonight for my parents, who were not as excited about a spring pizza as I was. I added caramelized shallots, and it was extremely well-received. Like, my only-likes-to-eat-meat father asked if we could have it again. If that doesn’t scream success, I don’t know what will!
Thanks!
Only the first pic shows up. I would really love to see them all!
My friends drove two hours to visit me for lunch. When they got here I put them to work shaving asparagus and slicing cheese. I was lucky to find nice fat asparagus spears from California in our super market this weekend (I live in Iowa). We all loved this pizza. Thanks so much! I have enjoyed other recipes from your cookbook. My friends enjoyed their hands on lunch. Tasted like spring.
Hi Deb, we’re making this recipe from your cookbook (we love your cookbook!). Can the dough be frozen? I’d love to make a giant batch once a month and have fresh dough any day.
OMG! This was delicious, my 8 & 5 yr olds LOved it!! I took a short cut and bought a thin/crispy crust. I also added halved grape tomatoes, and yellow pepper ribbons. It was just what we needed after harvesting our asparagus. Thank you for such a beautiful cookbook, I cannot wait to try more recipes!
I just made this tonight (on a local, pre-made whole wheat crust, because it’s hot, and I’m lazy), and it was SO good! Thank you so much for this! I think it’ll be a fun way to use surplus zucchini later in the season, too.
2nd or 3rd year in a row I have made this during asparagus season – I just love it. I like to use ricotta cheese as well, yum!
Tried this out last night, phenomenal! I’ve been really into asparagus lately…I used Jim Laheys no knead dough recipe and cooked it on my baking steel….crispy crust….perfection!
My husband said this post deserves a bump. This was lovely. I will be doing more copious amounts of raw asparagus as a vegan offering with a squeeze of fresh lemon, but this stays on our ” who needs gravy” list of awesome things to place on pizza. Thanks.
I just had to say that I’ve made this twice with my boyfriend and both times our minds were blown with how delicious it turned out! I’m usually a tad judgmental when I make a meal, but this has literally no issues. It’s perfect. We add the eggs at the end and pop it in the oven for another 5 minutes and then top it off with a squirt of lemon and a few red pepper flakes. Thanks for the great recipe!
*the mozzarella gets a little liquidy, but when I take out the pizza to add the eggs I just dab the excess liquid off the top with a paper towel.
Look forward to trying this recipe. I’m thinking of using a cauliflower pizza crust with this. Any thoughts?
Steve — I’ve heard of it but only because a reader complained to me that it tasted like a pancake so, uh, your mileage may vary. I know a lot of people seem to like it, however. I haven’t auditioned it, though.
I made this pizza today and OMG honeslty, one of the best things I have ever made. Love love your cookbook- so far every recipe I have made has been incredible – I am a vegetarian (do eat dairy and fish) and have found enough in your book to try. Cannot stress how much I adore your recipes – thank you so much!
This was absolutely delicious. I add the chili flakes to the asparagus and they gave the pizza a nice bit of heat. I also added some prosciutto and used a garlic and herb flavored crust. I can’t wait to make this again!
Delicious! Every recipe I try of yours (website and cookbook) turns out yummy. I made this as directed but also added a bit of feta, and that was a nice flavor pow. I had very thin asparagus spears from the farmers market, so it was challenging to shave them with my crappy peeler. I ended up chopping them lengthwise and vertically as needed and it worked well.
I have made this twice (just bought the SK cookbook!) in the last week. So stinking good! I added some homemade ricotta. Thanks for this great recipe!!
I made this last night with TJ’s dough and it was YUMMMMMM. It was the first time I ever made pizza, and my only question is how to best stretch out the dough (without a roller). I tried searching your tips and couldn’t find any hints! Could you add something about how to stretch out dough to your pizza tips?
Your blog has changed my life. It’s doable for beginners but not bland and boring like most entry level stuff. Thank you!!
we’ve been making this pizza almost weekly since asparagus season started — it’s addictive! our latest version included thinly sliced mega-garlic scapes from our garden and TJ’s smoked mozzarella. we are obsessed.
thank you for making (homemade) pizza night a regular thing at our house — it has brought out some long-dormant skills from my partner’s high school job at his local pizza joint.
This is the recipe that makes me the most excited for asparagus season every year! My pizza always gets a little liquidy in the middle, so I started draining the oil-dressed asparagus on paper towels before topping the pizza (nothing too aggressive, just absorbs some of the excess oil and the liquid that’s released by salting).
I don’t think I’ve ever commented on recipe before but I made this pizza this evening and it’s kinda amaze. I’m so glad you said that bit about pulling out a bit and trying it. Now I’m trying to work out how to make shaved asparagus a regular part of my diet!
Healthy, gorgeous, and perfect for this time of year! I love it!
Grilled this bad boy up tonight and it was outstanding. Might add the lemon squeeze next time (which might be tomorrow).
Came to the site tonight looking for a recipe for pasta and shrimp but was side-tracked by this one. My pizza making skills are fairly rudimentary but with a crust from Whole Foods, I made it work. I followed the recipe as written, except used muenster instead of mozzarella (because that’s what I had) and added one layer of thinnly sliced ham betweem the muenster and the parm. Finished it with lemon juice and truffle salt.
Really wonderful.
I just made this from your cookbook. I added some ham and used an Italian mix of cheeses but a bit less than called for. It turned out delicious (though perhaps just a touch on the salty side because of the ham). This was the first time I’ve done pizza in years and I am definitely inspired to do more. Thank you!
Great addition to our Friday Night Pizza menu. Thank you.
I made this for dinner last night and it was so much better than the sum of its parts! Thank you for an easy weeknight spring recipe.
This looks delicious and would just so happen to use up some asparagus, mozzarella, and scallions that are currently hanging out in my fridge. One question: what do you think about adding a few blobs (technical term there) of ricotta? I have some of that leftover from making your bow ties with sugar snaps, ricotta, and lemon (which was delicious, btw). Seems like it would meld well but I’d love a professional opinion before I go messing with a recipe that is likely pretty perfect as written… Any reason not to try it?
I’d love it here. I might just put it on as the pizza comes out of the oven; I am never convinced that baking improves it.
Absolutely delicious!! Making again, for an appetizer for Easter
I have been making this pizza every spring since it was published. It’s one of my very favorite pizzas. Thank you!
This turned out so good!! I agree that it is a good thing when the shaved asparagus ends up in different thicknesses, so I can appreciate it even more on the pizza. Didn’t have any scallions, used pecorino instead of Parmesan and about 2/3 the mozzarella and loved every bite. Thank you for this, and all your creative pizza recipes! (And foolproof pizza dough… ;-)
Asparagus is one of my favorite veggies and I often roast them with chopped anchovies. So, as an anchovies addict I expanded on what is already a brilliant recipe:
I used whole wheat flatbread for the pizza crust — brushed it with anchovy oil and baked it on the oven rack 2-3 minutes. Then topped it with combo asparagus shavings, fresh spinach leaves and chopped anchovies tossed with a little anchovy oil, salt & pepper to taste. I also baked it right on the oven rack to help it crisp up. Next time I think I will also add sliced Greek olives.
i make a similar pizza but add boursin– highly recommend that!!!
We had some asparagus that needed using and knew just where to turn! We couldn’t help but put our skinny asparagus (chopped – not big enough for shaving, sadly) on top of goat cheese, a la “asparagus, goat cheese and lemon pasta”. Combined with a little truffle oil, the goat cheese became the perfect base to the crispy asparagus. This will be on repeat at our house, like so many other SK recipes.
Add Gruyère to the cheese mix. You won’t be sorry…!
This looks and sounds amazing! The same old pizza toppings get so boring and I love having the option to switch to a veggie option, especially something so different!
Made for dinner last night and it was divine! Added some roasted cherry tomatoes and a drizzle of white truffle oil. I’ll be serving this up again, and also adding shaved asparagus to everything!
I had this pizza at my sister’s wedding and I want more!! Absolutely Devine!!
As I’m reading this a thought popped into my head, scary, I know!! What about morel mushrooms? I think they would be amazing on a pizza!! Now I have to find some morel mushrooms!! Hurry up spring!
This was ridiculously delicious! I added some red pepper flakes to the asparagus. My husband who swears that a pizza isn’t worth eating unless it has red sauce, devoured this. This is a serious A+!
Just made this tonight, and it was great – thanks! One tool that I love for asparagus – and especially for making ribbons – is an asparagus peeler. It’s like a regular peeler, but has another arm opposite the peeler, to support the spear and keep it from snapping.
I love this pizza so much! I have made it every week for the past month. Delicious!
I made this tonight and it was incredible! We do
homemade pizza pretty often (always with the lazy pizza dough recipe – thanks Deb!) and I think this is my favorite pizza I’ve ever made!
Shaving the asparagus took a bit because I had skinny asparagus – but it was so good and totally worth it. The next time we have steak we’re trying a cold shaved asparagus salad on the side.
Hey! The link from your newsletter yesterday (market stuff?) for the asparagus pizza goes to another recipe….with pasta. Just FYI. Anyhow got inspired to make the pizza and just putting together the crust! Thank you…..
Whoops! Thanks for letting me know. Hope you love the pizza.
Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe that makes people think I’m some kind of pizza genius! I make this every couple of weeks, using the lazy pizza dough recipe. I add red pepper flakes to the asparagus. Also, I use 3-4 scallions and toss them with a generous handful of finely chopped fresh dill which adds a brightness to the flavor imo.
I made this a year ago, and it was good, but it was missing something. I decided that if it didn’t have sauce, it needed cheese with more character, so when I-made it last week, I put on a little of my regular Parmesan and mozzarella, and then a big handful of soft, slightly barnyardy Tallegio cheese, torn into little bits. Also a bunch of chopped scallions. Perfection. I impressed my sister! And I’m already planning to make it at least a couple more times while it’s still asparagus season!