Asparagus, Red Pepper & Red Onion Pizza with Gouda and Parmeson Cheese

When I make pizza, it usually ends up being either ham or pineappple, a meat lover's or just cheese for my son who doesn't like toppings on his pizza.

No one ever requests or wants a vegetarian pizza. But I do! So I made the decision to do so.

I had some fresh asparagus and a big block of gouda cheese so I tried something different and it was awesome.

The kids wouldn't eat it ("I hate onions", "Why did you put those red things on it", " 'pargus on pissa??")

They just don't know what they are missing. Too bad for them.

More for me!!!

...



Asparagus, Red Pepper and Red Onion Pizza with Gouda and Parmeson Cheese
makes 2 pizzas

Vegetable Toppings:

olive oil
~20 asparagus spears, ends trimmed
2 red peppers, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
grated gouda cheese
grated parmeson cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Dough:

2 pkg active dry yeast
2-1/4 cup warm water
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup oil
5 cups bread flour, plus extra if needed (you may substitute 1/2 tsp or up to 1 tsp for EACH cup of all purpose flour instead of bread flour).
1 tbsp salt

Vegetable Toppings:

In a nonstick pan, fry up the asparagus, red peppers and red onion with some oil, until almost wilted. Sprinkle enough salt and pepper, to your taste. Remove from heat to cool.

Dough:

In a mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand until foamy (about 5 minutes).

Add sugar, oil, flour and salt and knead with dough hook until soft and smooth, about 8-10 minutes. Add up to one cup of flour while kneading so cough will pull away from sides.

Form dough into ball and tranfer to lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until doubles, about 1.5-2 hours.

Punch down and take dough out onto lightly oiled surface and divide into two. Let rest for 10 minutes. Dust with all purpose flour and roll out to fit pan. Pizza pan should be oiled and dusted with cornmeal.

Assembly:

Rub olive oil on the pizza and spread out the asparagus, peppers and onion. Drizzle any leftover oil and salt, pepper in the pan.

Sprinkle a light amount of gouda and parmeson atop the pizza.

Bake until brown 10-15 mintues at 500F. Serve hot.

Crust adapted from: Pizza margherita, Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking