White Spinach Pizza
All the best parts of spinach artichoke dip on a crispy crusted pizza pie.
Serves4 to 6
Makes2 (12-inch) pizzas
Prep10 minutes
Cook30 minutes
Love pizza and spinach dip? Then this is the recipe for you. The easy pie comes together quickly with store-bought dough, a quick creamy ricotta sauce, baby spinach, and plenty of melty mozzarella. You can serve this with a salad, or maybe there’s enough spinach on the pizza to count as your greens. The choice is yours.
Why do people put spinach on pizza?
When it comes to topping pizza, the options are pretty much endless, but there are some classics, like spinach, that people keep returning to. Spinach cooks in the same amount of time as the pizza, so it requires minimal extra prep, and the flavor goes so well with creamy cheese (think: creamed spinach). Plus, it’s one of the most enjoyable ways to get your greens.
How do you cook spinach on a pizza without burning it?
Spinach is a tender green that’s prone to burn at high heat, like the temperature you use to bake a pizza. To protect the greens, spread the ricotta mixture on the pizza dough, add the oil-tossed spinach, and then top with the mozzarella. The cheese will cover the greens and keep them from burning. Any edges that are exposed will crisp up, thanks to the oil.
Does spinach make pizza soggy?
Spinach contains some water, but not enough to make your pizza soggy, so there’s no need to cook it in advance. In this recipe, we use baby spinach, which doesn’t require any prep (other than rinsing and spinning dry). Any moisture from the spinach will make the ricotta sauce even creamier, which is a good thing. The pieces of spinach that are peeking out of the cheese will get crunchy.
Spinach Pizza Recipe
All the best parts of spinach artichoke dip on a crispy crusted pizza pie.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes
Makes2 (12-inch) pizzas
Serves4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 pound
store-bought or homemade pizza dough
- 1 small bunch
fresh basil
- 1 clove
garlic
- 8 ounces
low-moisture part-skim or whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 ounce
Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup firmly packed freshly grated or 1/4 cup store-bought grated)
- 1 cup
whole-milk ricotta cheese (about 8 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons
heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 pinch
red pepper flakes
- 4 ounces
baby spinach (about 4 packed cups)
- 2 tablespoons
olive oil
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Instructions
Divide 1 pound pizza dough into two pieces. If the dough is cold, cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding. The dough is ready when it does not bounce back when stretched.
Arrange a rack in the lowest position of the oven. Place a pizza stone, pizza steel, or upside-down baking sheet on the rack. Heat the oven to 450°F.
Pick the leaves from 1 small bunch fresh basil and chop until you have 1/4 cup. Mince 1 garlic clove. Grate 8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese on the large holes of a box grater if needed (about 2 cups). Finely grate 1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 packed cup) or measure out 1/4 cup store-bought grated.
Place the basil, garlic, Parmesan, 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 3/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper, and 1 pinch red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
Place 4 ounces baby spinach (4 packed cups) in a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and toss to combine.
Bake 1 pizza at a time: Lightly dust a pizza peel (if using a baking steel or stone), rimless baking sheet, or upside-down rimmed baking sheet with all-purpose flour. Gently stretch or roll 1 ball of the dough into a 12-inch round and place it on the peel or baking sheet. If the dough springs back at any time, let it rest for about 5 minutes and then try again. Spread half of the ricotta mixture onto the dough with the back of a spoon, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top evenly with half of the spinach and half of the mozzarella.
Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone or steel, or place on the baking sheet in the oven. Bake until the crust is well-browned and the cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, 12 to 14 minutes.
Transfer the pizza to a wire rack. Repeat assembling and baking the second pizza. Slice and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop with this method.