Ham Olive Asparagus Ricotta Pizza (Printable)

Vibrant Italian-style pizza with smoky ham, olives, fresh asparagus, and creamy ricotta on a golden crust.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pizza Base

01 - 1 ball (approximately 10.5 ounces) pizza dough, store-bought or homemade
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 2 tablespoons fine cornmeal or all-purpose flour for dusting

→ Sauce

04 - 1/3 cup tomato passata or pizza sauce
05 - 1 clove garlic, minced
06 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Toppings

08 - 3.5 ounces thinly sliced cooked ham or prosciutto
09 - 3.5 ounces fresh ricotta cheese
10 - 2.8 ounces pitted green or black olives, sliced
11 - 3.5 ounces asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-1.5 inch pieces
12 - 3.5 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
13 - 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
14 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 480°F or maximum temperature. Position pizza stone in oven if using and allow it to heat thoroughly.
02 - Lightly dust baking sheet or pizza peel with cornmeal or flour. Stretch or roll pizza dough into a 12-inch round circle.
03 - Brush the surface of the stretched dough evenly with olive oil.
04 - Combine tomato passata, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly to incorporate flavors.
05 - Spread sauce mixture evenly over the oiled dough, maintaining a ½-inch border around the edges for the crust.
06 - Distribute shredded mozzarella cheese uniformly over the sauce base.
07 - Layer ham slices, asparagus pieces, and olive slices evenly across the mozzarella layer.
08 - Place spoonfuls of ricotta cheese dollop-style over the toppings. Sprinkle grated Parmesan across the surface if desired.
09 - Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until crust achieves golden color, crisp texture, and cheese bubbles vigorously.
10 - Remove from oven and allow pizza to rest for 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, slice into portions, and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The ricotta dollops melt into creamy pockets that balance the salty ham and briny olives
  • Asparagus gets tender and sweet in the high heat, turning into something you actually want on pizza
  • This comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like something from a proper Italian pizzeria
02 -
  • A hot oven is non-negotiable for good pizza crust
  • Letting the pizza rest for 2 minutes after baking makes the cheese set slightly so toppings dont slide off when you slice it
03 -
  • If your dough keeps springing back, let it rest for 10 minutes before stretching again
  • A pizza stone makes a huge difference but a preheated baking sheet works too

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