Garlicky White Pizza with Mozzarella and Ricotta
A rustic white pizza showered with Parmesan and mozzarella, dolloped with ricotta, and a golden-brown crusted slicked in garlicky olive oil.
Serves2 to 4
Makes 2 (12-inch) pizzas
Prep30 minutes
Cook6 minutes to 24 minutes
I fully support classic margherita pizza and am a fan of a tasty slice of pepperoni, but I firmly believe pizza bianca (Italian for “white pizza”) deserves just as much attention. It’s a lesson in simplicity — a pie that eschews tomato sauce and makes mozz the star. Garlicky olive oil ties the crust and cheese together, while a scattering of fresh oregano and red pepper flakes before serving bring the big pizzeria vibes.
What Is a White Pizza?
A white pizza is a pizza made without tomato sauce. Instead, the dough is simply topped with olive oil, garlic, and cheese — mozzarella and often other types, like ricotta and Parmesan — before baking. Because the cheese is doing all the work here, it’s important to use high-quality dairy for white pizza. Here we use a combination of milky fresh mozzarella, whole-milk ricotta, and either Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano.
What Is the Sauce on White Pizza Made Of?
There isn’t any tomato sauce on white pizza. Instead, you drizzle or brush olive oil on the dough to prevent it from drying out. Sometimes, and as you’ll find in this recipe, ricotta is used in combination with the mozzarella, which melts into soft puddles on the pizza to create a creamy kind-of, sort-of sauce on the pie.
What Is Good on White Pizza?
While white pizza hardly needs anything else to be delicious, it’s versatile enough to take on a variety of toppings. A few things to add to your pizza before sliding it into the oven are as follows:
- Thinly sliced tomato
- Sautéed mushrooms
- A handful of baby spinach
- Torn prosciutto slices
- Coarsely chopped olives
White Pizza Recipe
A rustic white pizza showered with Parmesan and mozzarella, dolloped with ricotta, and a golden-brown crusted slicked in garlicky olive oil.
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 6 minutes to 24 minutes
Makes 2 (12-inch) pizzas
Serves 2 to 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
recipe Pizza Dough, or 1 to 1 1/4 pounds store-bought pizza dough
- 8 ounces
fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup
whole-milk ricotta cheese (about 8 ounces)
- 1 ounce
Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup firmly packed freshly grated or 1/3 cup store-bought grated)
- 1 large clove
garlic
- 2 tablespoons
olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
- 3 small sprigs
fresh oregano
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Instructions
If using store-bought pizza dough, divide into 2 pieces. If the dough is cold, let sit at room temperature at least 2 hours before proceeding. The dough is ready when it does not bounce back when stretched.
Pat and gently squeeze 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese dry with paper towels if water packed. Thinly slice. Place 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese in a small bowl. Finely grate 1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese (about 1/2 packed cup) or measure out 1/3 cup store-bought grated, add it to the bowl of ricotta, and stir to combine.
Finely chop 1 large garlic clove and place in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes if desired. Stir to combine. Pick the leaves from 3 small fresh oregano sprigs and set aside for garnish.
Option 1: Pizza Oven
Heat a pizza oven to 800ºF. Stretch or roll out one portion of dough on a lightly floured pizza peel into a rough 11 to 12-inch round. Brush the dough round with 1 tablespoon of the garlic oil. Top evenly with half of the mozzarella and dollop all over with half of the ricotta mixture.
Use the peel to slide the pizza into the pizza oven. Bake until the bottom is charred in a few spots and the cheese on top is melted (you may have to turn the heat down if the crust is charring too quickly), rotating a few times for even cooking, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining dough round. Scatter the oregano leaves over the top. Garnish with more red pepper flakes if desired.
Option 2: Regular Oven
Place an upside-down baking sheet or pizza stone on the middle rack and heat the oven to 450ºF. Stretch or roll out one portion of dough on a sheet of parchment paper into a rough 11 to 12-inch round. Brush the dough round with 1 tablespoon of the garlic oil. Top evenly with half of the mozzarella and dollop all over with half of the ricotta mixture.
Slide, still on the parchment, onto the hot baking sheet or stone. Bake until the edges are golden-brown and the cheese on top is melted, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining dough round. Scatter the oregano leaves over the top. Garnish with more red pepper flakes if desired.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.