Asparagus Pea Ricotta Flatbreads Recipes

ASPARAGUS & LEMON RICOTTA FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500˚F with rack in upper third of oven. Line an 18 x 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll out dough to an 18 x 13-inch rectangle; transfer to sheet. In a small bowl, combine oil, garlic and oregano and brush over surface of dough. Sprinkle two-thirds of Romano over crust. Arrange asparagus in an even layer over top. Dollop with ricotta and sprinkle with lemon zest, pepper flakes and remaining one-third of Romano. Bake in upper third of oven until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes.

SUMMER VEGGIE FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Put the bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and boil until just barely crisp tender, about 1 minute. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking.
• Heat the oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Brush about half the oil all over the top of the breads. Arrange the zucchini ribbons and asparagus on top and brush lightly with the remaining oil. Sprinkle with salt and top with the Parmesan.
• Bake until the bread is crisp and the zucchini is lightly charred in spots, about 12 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve warm or room temperature.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle on the oil, sprinkle on the salt and pepper and toss. Roast until tender and browning at the edges, about 20 minutes.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS AND PEAS

Steps:

• Zest the lemons and lay out the zest to dry it slightly, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Mix the lemon zest with the salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cut 2 of the lemons in half and set aside.
• Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil on a baking sheet and toss to coat. Roast until the asparagus have some blackened bits, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the peas all over the asparagus, toss and squeeze on the juice of the 2 cut lemons. Return to the oven for 3 minutes.
• Serve on a big platter and sprinkle with the lemon salt, basil and parsley before serving.

PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS, ARUGULA AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add a generous amount of salt. Add the asparagus. Cook pencil-thin asparagus for two minutes, three to four minutes if stems are medium-thick. Transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water. Drain and set aside.
• Place the ricotta in a large pasta bowl.
• Bring the water back to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook al dente, following the directions for timing on the package but checking a minute before the suggested cooking time. Stir 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water into the ricotta. Drain the pasta and toss at once with the olive oil and ricotta, the arugula, asparagus and Parmesan. Serve hot.

ONE-POT PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Combine the pasta, onions, garlic, asparagus, broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture boils, 7 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the frozen peas and continue to cook until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the pasta to serving bowls and top with dollops of ricotta and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.

RICOTTA DUMPLINGS WITH BUTTERED PEAS AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Combine ricotta and eggs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and, using a large wooden or metal spoon, gently mix in the flour, taking care not to overmix (which could result in tough dumplings).
• Meanwhile, heat butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks have softened completely and are starting to pick up some color, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add asparagus and peas to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until asparagus is just tender and bright green, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on its thickness. Remove from heat while you cook the dumplings.
• When the water is at a nice steady boil, drop the ricotta mixture into the pot by the heaping spoonful. (The dumplings will expand in the water, so make them slightly smaller than you'd like them to end up.) Be careful not to crowd the pot; cook the dumplings in batches if need be.
• Once the dumplings rise to the top, let them boil until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. (You can always pull one out and cut it in half to test its doneness; the texture will go from dense and doughy to light and pillowy.)
• As the dumplings finish cooking, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the skillet with the peas and asparagus. Once they're all in there, give everything a quick toss over medium heat just to evenly coat the dumplings in the buttery sauce. Add pea shoots and toss just to wilt slightly.
• Transfer to a large serving bowl or platter and top with parsley, cheese and more olive oil, if you like.