This white pesto pizza is layered with creamy ricotta and burrata, smoky grilled asparagus and finished with fresh lemon zest and basil. It's bright, cheesy and exactly the kind of spring pizza I crave as soon as asparagus season hits!
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About This Recipe
This white pesto pizza is a fresh twist on the classic white pizza recipe. A layer of basil pesto is spread over the dough and topped with dollops of ricotta, torn burrata and smoky grilled asparagus. Once the crust is crisp and golden, it’s finished with a grating of fresh lemon zest and basil.
I love serving this with a bright salad,(arugula pear salad or citrus fennel salad would be perfect) and a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio. If you make pizza as often as I do, this is a fun white pizza to add to the rotation.
You can use store-bought pesto or make a batch of my basil almond pesto ahead of time. And if you’ve grilled extra asparagus during the week, this is the perfect way to use it up.
📋 Ingredients
- Pizza Dough: Use your favorite store-bought dough or homemade. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 30–60 minutes before stretching so it doesn’t spring back.
- Asparagus: Trim the woody ends and lightly grill (outdoor grill or grill pan) until just tender with a bit of char.
- Ricotta & Burrata: Ricotta adds a soft, creamy base while burrata gives rich, melty pockets throughout the pizza.
- Basil Pesto: Use homemade (basil almond pesto or arugula pesto both work beautifully) or your favorite store-bought version.
- Lemon Zest & Fresh Basil: These finishing touches wake everything up and balance the richness from the cheeses. Use a microplane to zest the lemon.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Cheese Swaps: Use all ricotta or all burrata cheese. Fresh mozzarella works well too. Even a sprinkle of feta would be delicious.
- Add More Veggies: Grilled zucchini, artichoke hearts, spinach, or thinly shaved fennel would all fit the spring vibe.
- Make It a Sandwich: Turn the same flavors into a pizza sandwich. Roll out the pizza dough, fold and bake, then fill with the pizza toppings.
⏲️ Instructions
Grill the Asparagus. Toss asparagus with olive oil and salt and grill over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes until lightly charred. Set aside.
Prepare the Dough. Stretch the dough into a 10–12 inch round. If the dough springs back, let it rest a few more minutes at room temperature.
Assemble the Pizza. Spread pesto onto the pizza and top with dollops of ricotta, torn burrata and grilled asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 7–8 minutes, until the crust is golden.
Finish and Garnish. Remove the pizza from the oven and immediately top with fresh lemon zest, basil leaves, red pepper flakes (if using) and flaky sea salt.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Pizza Dough: Let the pizza dough come to room temperature before stretching. If it resists and shrinks back, let it rest for 10–15 minutes and try again.
- Preheat Your Oven & Stone: I highly recommend using a pizza stone or baking steel for a good crust. Preheat the stone in the oven for at least 30 minutes. A very hot surface makes all the difference for a crisp, golden crust.
- Trim the Asparagus: Snap one spear to find the natural breaking point, then use it as a guide to trim the rest.
Serving Suggestions
This pesto pizza is the perfect main to serve alongside other spring favorites.
More Pizza Recipes to Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
White Pesto Pizza with Grilled Asparagus & Lemon
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough at room temperature, divided in half
- All-purpose flour for rolling
- ½ cup pesto ¼ cup per pizza
- ½ cup ricotta cheese ¼ cup per pizza
- 4 ounces burrata cheese 2 ounces per pizza
- 6-8 asparagus spears ends trimmed
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Small handful fresh basil leaves
- Red pepper flakes for garnish, optional
- Flaky sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven. Preheat oven to 500°F for at least 30 minutes. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while it preheats so it gets very hot.
- Grill the Asparagus. Toss trimmed asparagus with a light drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- Grill on an outdoor grill or grill pan over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly charred but still vibrant green. Set aside.
- Prepare the Dough. Divide the 1 pound of dough into 2 equal portions for medium pizzas (or keep whole for 1 large).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 10–12 inch round. If the dough springs back, let it rest a few more minutes at room temperature.
- Assemble the Pizza. Spread ¼ cup pesto onto each pizza, leaving a small border around the edges. Top with spoonfuls of ricotta and torn burrata Lay grilled asparagus across the pizza and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
- Bake. Transfer pizza to the hot stone and bake for 7–8 minutes, until the crust is golden and edges are bubbling.
- Finish and Garnish. Remove the pizza from the oven and immediately top with fresh lemon zest, basil leaves, red pepper flakes (if using) and flaky sea salt.
Notes
- If you prefer to make your own pesto, my basil almond pesto would be fabulous here!
- Let dough come fully to room temperature before stretching.
- Preheat oven and pizza stone for at least 30 minutes.
- Lightly grill asparagus until just tender with slight char before topping pizza.
- This recipe is instructed for 2 medium sized pizzas, however you can make 1 large one as well.
Pizza Perfect says
I love the Pizza recipes.....!
Pizza Perfect says
The pizzas look amazing...!!
Brenda Score says
What a wonderful pizza. I love the ricotta and lemon zest!
Samantha says
Its a wonderful combination...thank you Brenda!
Samantha says
Thank you!! Ricotta is so good on pizza!
Ushmana says
With spring just blooming its way, this pizza looks so refreshing and perfect for a Sunday brunch!
Love the adding of ricotta cheese with pesto ad the lemon zest hits the bullseye!
Amazing!