Pizza with Ham, Asparagus, and Ricotta

Ingredients

Contains: milk, wheat (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 1 cup fresh asparagus, trimmed
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped herbs, such as basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme (optional)
• 1 pound pizza dough (see footnote for recipe link)
• 1 tablespoon flour, for dusting
• 1/2 cup diced smoked ham
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Heat the oven to 500°F (260°C) with a pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet on the middle rack.

2. Bring a pan of boiling water to a boil, add the trimmed asparagus and cook 2 minutes until bright green and just tender. Drain, pat dry and cut into 1-inch pieces.

3. Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small skillet over low heat with the minced garlic and red pepper flakes for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Do not brown the garlic. Remove from heat.

4. In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, heavy cream, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, chopped herbs if using, salt and black pepper until smooth. Season to taste.

5. Dust a work surface with the flour. Roll or stretch the pizza dough into a 12-inch round and transfer it to a floured pizza peel or baking sheet.

6. Brush the dough with the remaining olive oil from the 1/4 cup, then spread the ricotta mixture over it, leaving a 1-inch border. Scatter the Cheddar, diced smoked ham and asparagus on top.

7. Spoon the garlic oil from the skillet over the toppings, then slide the pizza onto the hot stone or sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.

8. Let the pizza rest 2 minutes, then slice and serve. The ham is already cooked and only needs to be heated through.