Description
These delightful asparagus, ricotta, and lemon pizzettes combine a crisp homemade dough base with a creamy ricotta topping, zesty lemon, and tender asparagus spears. They offer a fresh, vibrant take on mini pizzas perfect for a light lunch or appetizer, bringing together bright citrus flavors and savory cheeses in a beautifully baked dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 500g strong white bread flour
- 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 10g fine sea salt
- 100ml olive oil
- 300ml warm water
Topping
- 1 bunch asparagus (about 250g), trimmed
- 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling and work surface
- 1 lemon, zested and ½ juiced
- 250g ricotta, drained
- 15g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, finely grated, plus extra shavings to serve
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Sea salt flakes, to season
- Cracked black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Tip the flour, yeast, salt, and olive oil into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in 300ml of warm water. Bring the ingredients together into a rough dough, then knead on a clean work surface until smooth and elastic. The dough will be quite wet, so avoid adding extra flour; instead, scrape it back into the bowl as needed. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Prepare the asparagus and ricotta mixture: In a bowl, toss the trimmed asparagus with 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, the juice from half a lemon, and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. In another bowl, whisk together the ricotta, most of the lemon zest (reserving some for garnish), finely grated parmesan, the remaining olive oil, and the crushed garlic. Season this mixture generously with sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper.
- Preheat the oven and prepare the pizzette bases: Heat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan)/gas mark 9. Place a baking sheet inside to heat up. Once the dough has risen, knock it back in the bowl using oiled hands, then divide it into four pieces. On a lightly oiled surface, stretch each piece into a rough round or oval shape to form individual pizza bases. Transfer each base onto a piece of baking parchment.
- Assemble the pizzettes: Spoon the ricotta mixture onto the centers of each dough base, leaving a small border around the edges. Arrange a few asparagus spears on top of the ricotta. Drizzle the asparagus and lemon-flavored oil mixture over each pizzette for added flavor.
- Bake the pizzettes: Carefully slide the parchment with the assembled pizzettes onto the preheated baking sheet in the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is golden and puffed and the asparagus is slightly charred.
- Finish and serve: Remove the pizzettes from the oven and scatter parmesan shavings and the remaining lemon zest over them. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil before serving for a final touch of richness and shine.
Notes
- Make sure to drain the ricotta well to avoid soggy pizzettes.
- The dough is wet and sticky; resist the temptation to add extra flour to ensure a light and airy crust.
- You can substitute the parmesan with a vegetarian hard cheese if preferred.
- Serving these pizzettes warm is best to enjoy the soft cheese and tender asparagus at their peak.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, kneading by hand is just as effective.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: asparagus pizzettes, ricotta pizza, lemon ricotta pizza, mini pizzas, spring appetizer, vegetarian pizza, homemade pizza dough
