Pizza with Bacon and Asparagus

During one of the recent long afternoons I spent on my couch, I watched Pat and Gina Neely (Food Network's down-home barbecuing couple) make this pizza. I'm always on the lookout for new ways to top a pizza and with the arrival of Spring, asparagus seemed like just the thing. The bacon and asparagus and mounds of mozzarella were great. But what really stood out to me about this dish was the quick-simmered tomato sauce. Fire-roasted canned tomatoes are improved with sliced garlic, red pepper flakes, and torn fresh basil. Simple, fast, and yet fantastic.

Pizza with Bacon and Asparagus

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe pizza dough
1 lb. fresh asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
pinch red pepper flakes
14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch sugar
3 Tbsp. fresh basil, torn
6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
8 oz. (2-3 cups) mozzarella, shredded
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare pizza dough according to recipe directions.

2. While dough is rising, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, until tender-crisp. Remove immediately and shock in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking; drain and set aside.

3. To prepare the sauce, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook for about a minute, until the garlic browns around the edges. Stir in the tomatoes and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes until thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the torn basil.

4. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 F.

5. Spread the tomato sauce over the prepared crust. Top with half of the mozzarella, the asparagus, bacon, and red onions. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is puffed and golden and the cheese is bubbling. Let cool several minutes before slicing.

Makes 1 large pizza.

(Adapted from Food Network)