Shaved Asparagus and Prosciutto Pizza

Oh boy do I have a recipe for you today!  I've been seeing shaved asparagus all over the web these days and actually had a taste of it at our fancy dinner out a few weeks ago.  Many people simply toss it in some oil and vinegar, add a little s and p and eat it as salad.  I wanted to take it up a notch by throwing it on a pizza with some goat cheese and prosciutto, yeehaw!  It's really quite easy and there is something satisfying about using a potato peeler to make long curls of asparagus.  Try this pizza today, you won't regret it!

 

Shaved Asparagus and Prosciutto Pizza

Ingredients:
1 recipe pizza dough (I like the one from this recipe, but choose your favorite)
1 bundle of asparagus
2-3 oz. proscuitto, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic (about 1 clove)
2 oz. goat cheese (or more if you like)
salt and pepper

Begin by preparing your pizza dough.  The recipe I use needs to be made in advance but you could also use a premade crust to make it even faster.

Heat pizza stone in oven at 500 degrees.  If you don't have a pizza stone you can make your pizza on a baking sheet.
 
Don't worry about cutting off the ends of the asparagus.  Instead, use that part to hold onto as you  draw the peeler away from you to create thin strips of asparagus.  There will be some thicker and some thinner strips.  Don't worry, just go for it! 

Set the asparagus aside and heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and stir until it begins to brown (this can happen fast so keep a close eye on it, burned garlic = bad!).  Add the goat cheese and stir until it melts.  My pizza had a very subtle goat cheese flavor so feel free to add more if you like.

Spread goat cheese mixture over the pizza crust.

Put asparagus strips in a large bowl and toss with proscuitto, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Spread mixture over your pizza crust.

Bake at 500 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, until crust turns golden.

Cut into squares and enjoy with a glass of wine!

I have to admit, I usually stick with toppings like plain cheese or pepperoni for my pizza but this was a really tasty change.  What is the most unique pizza topping you've tried?  What is your favorite kind of pizza?