Weeknight Dinner: Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza
A simple recipe for a weeknight-friendly pizza topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto, and arugula.
Serves4 to 6
Makes2 (12-inch) pizzas
In a blazing-hot oven, a homemade pizza bakes in under 10 minutes, but that doesn’t always make it a quick meal option. With all the chopping and precooking some toppings require, it often seems easier to pick up the phone and order delivery — especially at the end of a tiring day.
Instead, give this
weeknight-friendly meal
The combination of fatty, salty prosciutto and spicy arugula is a classic, which is why I’ve been making this particular pizza for years. I used to tear up the prosciutto and randomly scatter it over the dough before baking, but I’ve since discovered that paving the surface of the pizza with an even layer of pork is the way to go. When done this way, every bite includes some prosciutto.
Hot out of the oven, the pizza is scattered with a generous amount of arugula, which softens a little at the edges but doesn’t wilt, lending a spicy bite that cuts through the salty porkiness of the prosciutto.
And on busy nights, I appreciate that the only ingredient prep this recipe requires is opening a couple of packages. Even on weekends when I have a little more time and am making several pizzas for a group of friends, a prosciutto and arugula pie will invariably make its way onto the menu. It’s quick, it’s easy, and everyone always always loves it. Isn’t that the very definition of pizza?
Tester’s Notes
This is a recipe that has long been in my rotation for weekly pizza night in my house. It’s super simple to assemble yet feels a touch more unique than your classic margarita pizza. The arugula adds a peppery, fresh touch to things and really does make it all too easy to want to go in for a second slice.
– Sheela, March 2018
Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza
A simple recipe for a weeknight-friendly pizza topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto, and arugula.
Makes 2 (12-inch) pizzas
Serves 4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 pound
pizza dough, at room temperature, divided into 2 equal pieces
- 2 tablespoons
olive oil
- 1/2 cup
tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cups
shredded mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
- 8 thin slices
prosciutto
A few big handfuls of arugula
Instructions
If you have a pizza stone, place it on a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 550°F (or maximum oven temperature) for at least 30 minutes.
If transferring the pizza to a stone in the oven, assemble on a well-floured peel or cutting board. Otherwise, assemble on the surface you will be cooking on (parchment paper, baking sheet, etc.). Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll or stretch it into a 10- to 12-inch circle. Brush the edges of the dough with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread half of the tomato sauce over the rest of the dough. Sprinkle with about a 1/4 of the cheese. Lay 4 prosciutto slices so they are evenly covering the dough. Sprinkle with another 1/4 of the cheese.
Bake the pizza until edges are lightly browned and cheese is bubbly and browned in spots, about 6 minutes at 550°F. Remove from oven to a cutting board, scatter half of the arugula over the top, and cut and serve immediately. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.