Pizza Primavera

Homemade pizza, made to order, is the kind of recipe that encourages cooks to step up to the counter with their own ideas.

Here, a lightly seasoned spring vegetable assortment of leeks, asparagus and baby spinach covers a store-bought crust. 

It’s called primavera after the pasta dish invented in the mid-1970s by Sirio Maccioni, owner of Le Cirque restaurant in New York. According to the story, Maccioni created the recipe on the spur of the moment from ingredients he had on hand — lightly cooked vegetables, cream and Parmesan, a combination so good it works for practically anything, including pizza.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups (1-inch) diagonally sliced asparagus
• 2 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and green part only)
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 cups (2 ounces) baby spinach leaves
• 1 (14-ounce) pizza crust (like Boboli)
• 1 cup chunky tomato sauce (your choice)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add leeks, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender and leeks are tender, about 3 minutes more. Add spinach, lower heat, cover and cook until spinach wilts, about 30 seconds.

Place pizza crust on baking sheet. Spread tomato sauce over top of crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Spoon asparagus mixture over sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese melts and pizza is hot. Makes one 11-inch pizza; serves 4.

— Recipe by Jean Kressy