Whole Wheat Spring Pizza

Whole Wheat Spring Pizza is loaded with spring inspired ingredients including pesto, smoked mozzarella cheese, fresh asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and chives.

We humans love our comfort zones. At least most of us do. I love to try new restaurants but once I figure out what I like off the menu, I usually order that one thing over and over. Why risk wasting your money on something you might not like when you can just play it safe, right? Anyone else have that same thought process? Sometimes it’s good to force yourself out of stale habits. With pizza, I almost always like to stick with the classics. Take me to a fancy schmancy gourmet pizza joint and I will likely order a margherita pizza or pepperoni. If it’s a really stellar pizza place, they should be able to do the classics amazingly (at least that’s my reasoning). I don’t need any ridiculous ingredients on my food that were put there just for the sake of doing something different. At least, that’s usually how I feel. Sure, sometimes an egg on my pizza or some sliced potatoes is a slightly unusual but welcomed sight. I’m not really into pizza hybrids like “cheeseburger pizza” or “taco pizza.” If I want a cheeseburger or taco, I’ll just eat one. No need to cross-breed my pizza! Do you totally disagree with me there??

This whole wheat dough is so good that I was motivated to try something a little different from the usual pepperoni or margherita pizza. This recipe uses the Ultimate No-Knead Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe I posted last week, be sure to check it out! It’s amazing. But, if you don’t have time feel free to use your favorite store-bought pizza dough (Trader Joe’s has pretty good premade dough). I’m thrilled I did try out something beyond my norm, because this Whole Wheat Spring Pizza is GOOD. Try it soon!

How to make

Whole Wheat Spring Pizza

Yield: 1 12-inch pizza

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 24 minutes

Total Time: 34 minutes

Whole Wheat Spring Pizza is loaded with spring inspired ingredients including pesto, smoked mozzarella cheese, fresh asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and chives.

Ingredients

• 1 ball no-knead whole wheat pizza dough
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pesto
• 6 ounces fresh smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 10 asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 12 to 15 cherry tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives

Directions

1. Place a baking stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 450°F.
2. Place one ball of dough on a large sheet of parchment and shape and stretch until you have a thin 12-inch circle. To get the dough super thin, briefly roll with a rolling pin. Slide the dough to a pizza peel or flat cookie sheet. Cover with a clean towel until ready to use.
3. Brush the olive oil onto the edges of the pizza dough. Spread the pesto over the dough. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with the asparagus and tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Slide the dough onto the baking stone, keeping the parchment underneath the dough. Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the dough is golden. Sprinkle with the chives and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe by Tessa Arias