FNP: Asparagus, Fava Bean & Chive

Last week, I stumbled across the first of the fava beans at the supermarket — they’re not yet at our Farmer’s Market, but they just scream spring to me. How could I not pick some up?

So this week’s Friday Night Pizza is a taste of spring: asparagus, fava beans, and chives with ricotta and fresh mozzarella. I’m loving the bright pops of green against the snowy white of the cheeses, and the taste? Pure spring.

TGIF!

(click through for the recipe)

Previous Friday Night Pizzas:

Asparagus, Ricotta & Salami Pizza
Bacon, Egg and Spinach Pesto Pizza
Pizza Dough (at the end of the post)
Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese and Thyme Pizza
Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Gruyere Pizza
Green Garlic Monster Pizza
Pizza with Mushrooms, Asiago, Roasted Garlic & Thyme
Pesto & Potato Pizza
Sausage & Rapini Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Fontina and Ricotta
Sausage, Red Onion & Crimini Mushrooms
Southwestern Black Bean & Vegetable
Spinach and Artichoke Pizza

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Asparagus, Fava Bean & Chive Pizza

Ingredients
1 ball pizza dough (about 1 lb)
6 asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
about 1/3 cup fava beans (shells removed from the pods; see below for instructions to blanch them)
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/2 cup ricotta
4 oz fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces
a small handful grated parmigiano-reggiano

Directions
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, preferably with a baking stone inside. Stretch out your ball of pizza dough and lay it out on a pizza peel or baking sheet that’s been generously dusted with cornmeal. Use a pastry brush (or just dab it with your fingers) to lightly coat just the outer edge of the pizza crust with olive oil.

To prepare the fava beans, you’ll need to blanch them in their shells, then slit the shells and remove the bright green beans. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil, and add the fava beans. Cook them for 2 minutes, then add the asparagus pieces and cook for 1 minute longer. Drain the beans and asparagus and shock them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Remove from the water, set the asparagus aside, and pop the bright green fava beans out of their shells (you might have to use your fingernail to make a tiny opening in the bean shell.)

Top the pizza in the following order: ricotta and mozzarella, asparagus, fava beans, chives, and the grated parmigiano-reggiano. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

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