Goat Cheese, Leeks, Asparagus, Pancetta and Shiitake Mushroom Grilled Pizza

Whew!  That title is a mouthful.  But I wanted to make sure you knew all the goodness that goes into this pizza. And since spring is in the air, which means asparagus time, I thought this pizza showcased that vegetable quite nicely.  This pizza is cooked out on the grill, which makes it relatively fast to put together and serve.  The thinner the asparagus the better.  They are much more tender and dainty on top of a pizza.  The flavor combinations on this pizza are just delightful.  I'm a big fan of goat cheese, which gives the pizza a nice tang.  Make sure to trim the woody ends of the asparagus and to thoroughly clean the leeks before chopping.  I even made a special leek post below so you know exactly how to deal with them in case you are a newby to leeks.  You may not have the truffle oil in your pantry, but having tried the pizza with and without....if you make the extra effort to find some it is well worth it.  I just ran out of my own stock so I will be searching for some too. Enjoy and get outside and grill!

Goat Cheese, Leeks, Asparagus, Pancetta and Shiitake Mushroom Grilled Pizza

Pizza Dough 

1 cup warm water (about 110*)

1/4 tsp sugar

1 Tblsp active dry yeast

1 1/2 - 2 Tblsp olive oil, plus more for bowl

3-4 cups flour, plus more for dusting

1 1/2 tsp salt

            Stir the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add olive oil to yeast mixture & stir. Brush a large bowl with extra oil, and set aside. Put 3 cups flour and salt in mixer fitted with dough paddle. Add yeast mixture and mix until dough is smooth and slightly sticky to the touch. If the dough seems too sticky, add more flour 2 Tblsp at a time, mixing after each addition.

            Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in warm draft free spot until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes. Remove towel and punch down the dough. Cover and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Punch down dough again. Divide into two balls. (If not using right away, you can wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to one day or freeze up to one month. Make sure it has thawed before using.)

            On a lightly floured work surface, flatten each dough ball into a disk. Using a rolling pin, roll out to about a 13" circle or oval.  Prep grill and begin to heat.

For Pizza

2 Tblsp olive oil, plus more for brushing

2 large leeks, white & light green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed well, and cut into thin slices

8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into 1/4" thick slices

8 oz very thin asparagus, woody bottoms trimmed and cut into 1 ½” pieces

1/4 cup white wine (or white grape juice)

1 Tblsp finely chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

8-10 ounces goat cheese

4 oz pancetta, finely chopped

Truffle oil, for drizzling (optional)

Pizza Dough (recipe below)

            Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the leeks, cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and pancetta; cook until tender and juices have evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the asparagus and wine (or grape juice); cook until the asparagus is bright green and crisp tender and wine has evaporated. Stir in thyme; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

            Heat a grill until medium hot. Generously brush one side of the pizza dough with olive oil; grill, oiled side down, until the underside is golden brown and the top begins to bubble, 3-5 minutes. Quickly brush the top with olive oil; flip the crust. Top with a thin layer of cheese (the goat cheese chunks will melt as you are putting it on, and will become easier to spread once a little melted). Top with half of the asparagus mixture. Grill until the cheese is melted, the topping hot, and the crust is cooked through, 3-5 minutes more.

            Slide pizza onto cutting board. Season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle with more thyme and with a small amount of of truffle oil, if desired. Repeat and make more pizzas.

Makes enough for 2 - 13" pizzas

*Changed and adapted from Martha Stewart