The divas love the springtime ritual of Easter – and, yes, we snitch chocolate, marshmallow chicks and jelly beans from the baskets, but there’s something hopeful in the sunrise that morning.   It’s a day for gathering family and friends around the communal table for a late-morning brunch, and instead of casseroles or a pile of ordinary scrambled eggs, it’s fun to let everyone get messy in the kitchen and make their own mini-pizza – topped with an organic egg to match the sunrise, the rich yolk melting into the crispy crust. 

Let the dough sit at room temperature for easier rolling (or tossing).  And once you try an organic egg from a local farmer, you’ll never go back to the mass-produced, grocery-store eggs. 

Happy spring! 

Easter Brunch Pizzettes 

Serves 6

1/2 pound spring asparagus, cleaned and trimmed 

Coarse salt, to taste

1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage 

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella

3 Florida tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 pound purchased fresh pizza dough 

4 organic eggs

1/4 fresh basil, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Lightly drizzle asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Roast in a single layer in a baking dish for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender.  Remove from oven and set aside.  

Remove sausage from casings and brown in skillet over medium-high heat. Set aside. 

Thinly slice mozzarella and tomatoes. 

Adjust oven to 500˚F. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick.  Cut out 4 circles from the dough. Top with tomatoes, then sausage and mozzarella, Top with asparagus spears.  Arrange on pizza stone of heavy baking sheet.  Bake until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and adjust oven to broil. Crack fresh egg on top of hot pizza; return to oven just until egg is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Serve hot.

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