Asparagus Goat Cheese Flatbread

I was walking with a friend in Boston this weekend, and we noticed how hugely popular food trucks have become.

One open lot had about 10 to 12 food trucks parked, each one unique and staffed with local cooks focused on a different theme (stir fry, grilled cheese, crepes, etc., etc.), each one featuring quality ingredients and gourmet-looking convenience foods, and each one with crazy long lines gathered.

I told my friend that if I had a food truck, my theme would be flatbread.

Because that basic flatbread formula – fresh veggies, plus rich and creamy cheese, plus crisp golden crust – is basically guaranteed deliciousness.

For this dish, I used crisp asparagus, along with shallots and mushrooms.

Then I added goat cheese – a little salty and so addictively rich and creamy – along with the slightest dash of crushed red pepper for a hint of spice.

If you’re looking for a really delicious way to try out fresh asparagus, I highly recommend: try it on a crispy, golden, warm-from-the-oven flatbread!

Here is the complete, printable recipe:

5.0 from 2 reviews

Asparagus Goat Cheese Flatbread

 

Author: The Scrumptious Pumpkin

Nutrition Information

• Serving size: 6
• Calories: 324

• Fat: 14.8g
• Saturated fat: 5.4g
• Carbohydrates: 38.7g
• Sugar: 2.6g
• Sodium: 388mg
• Fiber: 4.7g
• Protein: 14g
• Cholesterol: 20mg

Recipe type: Healthy Vegetarian

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RECIPE WELLNESS BENEFITS (per serving)
Fiber (19% Daily Value) - regulates and slows feelings of hunger, rids the body of toxins
Protein - builds collagen for smooth, youthful skin & helps body feel fuller for longer
Vitamin A (19% Daily Value) - an anti-aging nutrient for clear, smooth, supple, youthful-looking skin
Calcium (21% Daily Value) - builds strong, healthy bones & helps body burn more fat
Iron (13% Daily Value) - energizes body and builds strong nails and thick, healthy hair

Total Time: 45 minutes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Yield: 12 slices, 6 servings (2 slices per serving)
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 16-ounce frozen organic whole wheat pizza dough, thawed
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 16 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into thirds
• 5 ounces crimini ("baby bella") mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces organic goat cheese, crumbled
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Using a thin cloth, coat a large sheet pan with a thin layer of sesame oil.
3. Place the pizza dough on a clean counter and shape the mound into a rectangle. Using palms, press the dough out - starting from the center and pushing outward - forming a larger and thinner rectangle. Then pick up the dough and hold it in the air, pulling and shaping every edge into a large rectangle, allowing gravity to do most of the work stretching the dough. When the dough is about the size of the sheet pan, place it in the pan, pressing the dough out further to fill in every edge of the pan.
4. Brush the remaining sesame oil all over the dough. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and garlic powder all over the dough.
5. Arrange the shallot evenly across the dough. Next arrange the asparagus and mushrooms over the dough. Add the goat cheese, and finally sprinkle on the crushed red pepper. Season the pizza with salt.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until edges of crust turn golden brown.
7. Use a pizza cutter to slice the flatbread, and serve.

3.2.2708

Begin with these ingredients.

Day Before Prep: don’t forget to place the frozen dough in the fridge to thaw the night before you plan to the make the flatbread. Otherwise, the pizza you planned to eat on Tuesday may have to be rescheduled for Wednesday (I speak from experience).

Grab a small pile of thin asparagus and chop off and discard the thick (too chewy) ends.

Then cut the spears into thirds.

Chop the ends off of a shallot, peel off the skin, cut it in half lengthwise, then thinly slice it.

Or substitute: if you don’t have shallots, try half of a small red onion instead.

And remove the stems from some mushrooms (I used crimini, but any kind of mushroom you like will work) and slice them up.

Then preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Grab a large sheet pan and a thin cloth, and coat the pan very lightly with sesame oil.

I love the flavor of rich, nutty sesame oil in this recipe.

It’s so tasty with the creamy goat cheese and crispy crust.

Or substitute: Olive oil or sunflower oil will also work if you don’t have sesame oil.

Place a whole wheat pizza dough on a clean counter and shape the mound into a rectangle.

Then, using your palms, press the dough out – starting from the center and pushing outward – forming a larger and thinner rectangle.

Pick up the dough and hold it in the air, pulling and shaping every edge into a large rectangle.

Go right ahead and let gravity do most of the work at this point, stretching out the dough.

When the dough is about the size of the sheet pan, place it in the pan, pressing the dough out further to fill in every edge of the pan.

Brush more sesame oil all over the dough.

Then sprinkle sesame seeds and garlic powder all over the dough to give that whole wheat crust some tasty flavor.

Arrange the shallot evenly across the dough.

Then toss on the asparagus and mushrooms.

Finally, add plenty of the crumbled goat cheese, and sprinkle on just a dash of crushed red pepper.

Then season the pizza with salt and toss it into the oven until you notice that the edges of the crust turn golden brown.

Slice up the flatbread with a pizza cutter, and serve it up!

The rich and nutty sesame oil nicely complements the fresh asparagus and mushrooms.

The creamy goat cheese and hint of spice from the crushed red pepper add lots of flavor.

And of course, that crisp golden crust pulls everything together for one scrumptious flatbread!