Description
A deliciously vibrant pizza topped with homemade pistachio pesto, fresh asparagus, and creamy ricotta.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ball pizza dough (homemade or store-bought)
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios (unsalted)
- 2 packed cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan or pecorino
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more for sprinkling)
- 1 big bunch asparagus (about 10–12 thin stalks, woody ends snapped off)
- 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
- 1 small lemon (zest and juice)
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to its hottest setting (mine goes to 500°F but anything above 450°F gets the job done; this is where I open all the windows).
- If you’ve got a pizza stone, let that thing heat up in the oven. Don’t have one? A regular old baking sheet, flipped upside down, works in a pinch (spoken from experience – it’s a bit rustic, but who cares).
- Next, make the pistachio pesto: toss pistachios, basil, garlic, parmesan, olive oil, and a pinch of salt into a food processor. Blitz until it looks like a thick, spreadable green paste. Sometimes it needs more oil – trust your gut. And yes, you get to taste here (I always do).
- Roll or stretch your dough into a rough circle or rectangle (pizza’s forgiving, honestly)—and if it fights you, just let it rest a minute.
- Slather (be generous!) pesto all over the dough, leaving a border. Dot with little blobs of ricotta all over—scatter them like you’re tossing confetti at a wedding.
- Arrange the asparagus spears on top, whole or sliced thin, whichever looks nice to you. Give everything a little sprinkle of salt and maybe a drizzle more oil if you’re feeling sassy.
- Slide the pizza onto your hot stone or upside-down tray and bake for 12–15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the asparagus looks a little blistered. Don’t panic if it bubbles or gets spots – that’s character!
- Pull it out, zest lemon over the top while it’s still warm, and add a dusting of red pepper flakes if you like.
- Slice up and eat as soon as it doesn’t burn your tongue (though I never wait long enough).
Notes
- Feel free to adjust the toppings to your preference or add your favorite vegetables.
- The pesto can also be used as a spread on sandwiches or as a dressing for salads.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 15mg