Pea season! We are harvesting bowls of snow peas from our garden everyday. We are eating them raw, in salads, lightly cooked in butter and on pizza. Yes, I said pizza and it is awesome. Pizza dough is topped with a herbed ricotta, olive oil tossed snow peas and grated Parmesan. Once baked until crispy, it is topped with some fresh lemon zest.
Pea and ricotta pizza makes a great main dish along with a garden fresh salad. Combined with some good wine and a few friends, it is a perfect warm appetizer. Oh, Spring - the time we gather with friends outside. Joy! Even in California we long for the warmer months when we languish outside.
Directions for Pea and Herbed Ricotta Pizza are more of a method than a real recipe. It is an opportunity for you to be creative and find your perfect variation. The first direction should be to head to the garden to harvest peas and fresh herbs. Skip this step and head to the store if you don’t have a garden yet….. I say yet, because you want one - right? Chives and dill are abundant at the moment. Dill tends to fade as we get the really warm temperatures of summer. Anyway, use any combination of herbs you like - they all work.
Want to know how we made our city garden? Head over here to check out the process.
Snow peas are sliced lengthwise and tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper. I used snow peas but you can use any vegetable or vegetable combination you like as long as it can be thinly sliced. Carrots and asparagus are good options and yummy with ricotta.
I have a friend, Andy, who would not consider making pizza without making his own dough. I do not suffer from that constraint. I make pizza on nights I don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Picture, the weekend and a good movie waiting to be streamed….. So, I purchase a pre-made dough. Here, in California, I find good choices at Trader Joe’s, Sprouts and Whole Foods.
Roll, pull, stretch the dough into a shape and thickness you like. We go for a thin irregular rectangle that fits onto a baking sheet. Layer on the herbed ricotta, olive oil tossed snow peas and Parmesan. Add a little more salt, pepper and a quick drizzle of olive oil. Off to the oven to bake until browned and the peas have crispy edges. Remove from the oven and top with the reserved lemon zest. Slice and eat!
Fresh Pea and Herb Ricotta Pizza
INGREDIENTS:
Pizza dough
Extra flour for shaping the dough
2 cups of thinly sliced fresh snow peas
16 ounces of ricotta cheese
Fresh chives - chopped
Fresh dill - chopped
1 garlic clove
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
If you are making your own pizza dough you will want to start there. I used store bought, so I left it on the counter to reach room temperature.
Prepare a baking pan with parchment paper.
Zest the lemon and then juice it. Set aside. You will use the zest after the pizza comes out of the oven.
Make herbed ricotta by stirring in a handful of chopped chives, a handful of chopped dill, a grated garlic clove, lemon juice and salt to taste. Set aside.
Thinly slice the snow peas lengthwise. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roll, pull, stretch - whatever it takes to get your pizza dough into a shape you like. Put your prepped dough on the parchment covered baking sheet.
Spread dough with herbed ricotta. Top with oiled and seasoned peas. Sprinkle on a little more olive oil, salt, pepper and a handful of grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake until browned and the peas have some crispy edges.
Remove from oven and top with lemon zest. Serve with hot pepper flakes.
NOTES: This is more a method than a recipe. Feel free to be creative with the herbs and spices. Carrots and asparagus can be used in place of, or with, the snow peas as the vegetable. Enjoy!