Asparagus Pizza
This Asparagus Pizza is a simple spring recipe made with tender asparagus, creamy mozzarella, and thinly sliced shallots. Finished with lemon zest and freshly grated parmesan, it's bright, fresh, and built for Ooni or a standard home oven.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Asparagus is a staple ingredient for spring and pairing it with sliced shallots, lemon zest, and melt mozzarella and mascarpone cheeses makes for an incredible pizza combination for spring. This Asparagus Pizza is one of my favorite things to make when bunches of asparagus hit stores each year.
After years of making pizza at home and trying different combinations, this is a go-to in my regular pizza rotation. I started cooking in an outdoor pizza oven several years ago and have been developing recipes for high-heat and home ovens ever since.
More recently I’ve been testing recipes in the Ooni Volt 2 indoor pizza oven, which heats up to 850 degrees for Neapolitan-style pies right on your kitchen countertop. This no-sauce pizza recipe is lightly topped, so every ingredient can shine.
This recipe is written to make one 14-inch pie, depending on your dough and how you stretch it. Use my basic overnight pizza dough or my sourdough pizza dough if you keep a starter. Store-bought dough works perfectly on a weeknight, as well.
What You Need for Asparagus Pizza
This is a simple, ingredient-forward pizza, so quality matters. Keep the topping amounts minimal to ensure the crust crisps and cooks through without getting soggy. Less is more here, given the simplicity of the combination.
- Pizza dough: Overnight pizza dough, sourdough pizza dough, or store-bought.
- Asparagus: Trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces. For thick spears, slice lengthwise first, then cut on a diagonal for better visual appeal.
- Mozzarella: Low-moisture, freshly shredded for the best melt.
- Mascarpone: Dotted over the pizza before baking, it melts into creamy pockets. Swap for ricotta if that’s what you have on hand.
- Shallot: Thinly sliced. Shallots are milder and sweeter than onion, which makes them a nice match for the delicate asparagus. You can substitute very thinly sliced red onion, if needed.
- Olive oil: Used to brush the dough instead of a heavy sauce.
- Lemon zest: Added right after the pizza comes out of the oven. Don’t skip this, as it makes the whole asparagus pizza feel bright and fresh.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated over the top as a finishing touch for more cheesy goodness.
- Red pepper flakes: Optional, but recommended for a little heat.
Pizza Oven Method
This asparagus pizza was developed for high-heat cooking, and that’s where it really shines. Whether you’re using an outdoor pizza oven or the Ooni Volt 2 indoor oven, the results are the same. Asparagus cooks until tender, mascarpone melts into the mozzarella, and the crust gets the kind of char you expect from restaurant pizza.
- Preheat your pizza oven to about 650 degrees F, which typically takes about 15 minutes..
- Stretch the room-temperature dough into a 12- to 14-inch round on a lightly floured surface and transfer to a floured or semolina-dusted pizza peel. Rice flour works especially well to keep the dough from absorbing too much flour.
- Assemble the pizza (see recipe card below) and launch into the oven.
- Bake for 2 to 4 minutes, rotating as needed for even cooking.
- Remove and immediately top with lemon zest, grated parmesan, and red pepper flakes.
Standard Oven Method
If you don’t have a pizza oven, you can get similar results with a standard home oven turned to higher heat. A pizza stone or steel will help get closer to a restaurant-quality finish.
- Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F with a pizza stone or steel inside.
- Stretch the dough into a 12- to 14-inch round and transfer to a floured peel or the back of a sheet pan.
- Assemble the pizza and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.
- Finish with lemon zest, parmesan, and red pepper flakes right out of the oven.
Finishing Touches and Serving Suggestions
The lemon zest is non-negotiable. Add it the moment the pizza comes out of the oven so the heat releases its oils without cooking it off. A generous grating of parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes round everything out.
Slice the pizza into 6 pieces and serve alongside a simple green salad for a light-and-easy spring dinner.
Asparagus Pizza with Mozzarella, Shallots and Lemon
Ingredients
- 1 ball pizza dough, room temperature
- 3 asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- ½ small shallot, thinly sliced
- ½ cup low-moisture mozzarella, freshly shredded
- 3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Zest of ½ lemon
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese, to finish
- Red pepper flakes, optional, to finish
Instructions
- Preheat your pizza oven (such as an Ooni) to about 650 degrees F. For a home oven, preheat to 500 degrees F with a pizza stone or steel inside, if you have one.
- Trim and cut asparagus, thinly slice the shallot, and shred the mozzarella.
- On a lightly floured surface, stretch the dough into a 12-inch to 14-inch round. Transfer to a floured pizza peel.
- Drizzle the dough with olive oil and brush to the edges, leaving about a 1-inch edge around the edge of the dough. Scatter the mozzarella evenly over the dough. Season with salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and shallots, distributing evenly. Dot with mascarpone.
- Transfer to the oven. In the Ooni, bake for 3 to 4 minutes, rotating as needed. In a home oven, bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and immediately top with lemon zest. Grate on parmesan and sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if using. Slice and serve.
Notes
- For the best texture, avoid overloading the pizza with toppings.
- If your asparagus is thick, slice it lengthwise before cutting into pieces. Cut on a diagonal for better visual appeal.
- Swap the mascarpone for ricotta if that’s more approachable.
- This recipe was tested with my basic overnight pizza dough and sourdough pizza dough. It also would work with a quality store-bought dough.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
