Charred Romesco Flatbreads with Shaved Asparagus Salad

Pizza topped with a fresh salad seems to be popping up on menus all over these days. So we thought, why not use this concept in a two‑for‑one salad‑meets‑appetizer recipe?!

ROMESCO

1 beefsteak tomato

1 red pepper

1 small head garlic

1 1/2 tsp + 3 tbsp (7 + 45 mL)

olive oil, divided

1/4 cup (60 mL) whole almonds,

toasted

1 tbsp (15 mL) sherry or red wine

vinegar

1 tsp (5 mL) smoked paprika

1/4 tsp (1 mL) kosher sea salt 1 cup (250 mL) small chunks

of stale toasted bread

GRILLED FLATBREADS

Flour for dusting

1 package (600 g) fresh pizza dough 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 mL) olive oil Shaved Asparagus Salad

(recipe p. 107)

1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 mL) grated

Pecorino or Parmesan, optional Pinch or two of sea salt, optional

1. Preheat grill to medium or medium-low. To prepare romesco, cut tomato in half crosswise. Rub tomato halves and red pepper with

1/2 tsp (2 mL) olive oil in a medium bowl. Slice top off garlic leaving papery skin intact. Pour 1 tsp (5 mL) oil overtop. Double wrap in foil.

2. Add tomato halves, pepper and wrapped garlic to grill. Grill tomato halves and red pepper until charred, about 10 to 15 minutes. Continue grilling garlic until soft, 20 minutes. Remove all to a large bowl. Set a bowl or lid overtop to let veggies steam so that the pepper’s skin starts to separate a little from the pepper.

3. Remove skin, seeds and stem from pepper. Add pepper to a food processor along with tomato, almonds, vinegar, paprika and sea salt. Add 2 roasted garlic cloves and set remaining aside for another use (like our Grilled Garlicky Smoked Gouda Potato Gratin, recipe p. 107). Whirl remaining 3 tbsp (45 mL) oil into feed tube in food processor while motor is running. Add bread and whirl until fairly smooth. Spoon into a serving bowl. If making ahead, romesco sauce will keep well, covered and refrigerated, up to 2 days.

4. Lightly flour a surface for rolling out flatbreads. Cut dough into 10 or 12 portions. Press dough down before stretching or rolling out into individual flatbreads. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Oil tops with 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 mL) olive oil. Generously oil grill. Increase heat to medium. When hot, place dough over grates. Let cook until golden and grill marks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue barbecuing until grill marks form, about 1 more minute.

5. Prepare Shaved Asparagus Salad.

6. To serve, spread romesco sauce over flatbreads then top with asparagus salad. Sprinkle with cheese, or if you’d prefer to skip the cheese, simply sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.

Makes 10 to 12 appetizers

WHAT TO SERVE

Sistina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC LCBO 31804, $16.90

The full black cherry flavour of this Montepulciano pairs with the cheese and tomato, while the soft balsamic note matches the asparagus.