Spinach and Ricotta Pizza
I love making pizza at home. It’s a lot of fun and much easier to prepare than you may think. Ok, ok not as easy as picking up the phone and ordering from your local joint, but still, it’s pretty simple.
I’m fairly particular about the pizza I make. I like my crust thin and crisp with not too much sauce, otherwise the pizza gets soggy. I also like to experiment with toppings. For example, I topped this pizza with the homemade ricotta I whipped up the other day and the result was pretty delicious!
If I have a lazy day around the house, I’ll even make my own pizza dough. It’s not difficult at all, but it does take time. It’s a nice Sunday afternoon activity.
The best way to get a nice crisp crust on your pizza is to cook it on a pizza stone at very high heat. But if you don’t have one, don’t worry, you can still get a pizzeria quality pie at home with a well oiled sheet pan.
Pizza! Pizza!
-KHQ
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for dough
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 to 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- coarse salt and ground black pepper
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 5 ounces spinach leaves
- all-purpose flour or cornmeal, for dusting
- 1 pound pizza dough, room temperature
- 6 ounces ricotta cheese (about 1 cup)
- crushed red pepper flakes, for serving
- grated Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- If using a pizza stone, place it in a cool oven, then preheat to 500 degrees. Otherwise, simply preheat oven.
- In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes to the pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, partially covered, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 8 minutes. Remove cover from the pan and cook until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Pizza stone instructions: Generously sprinkle a large pizza peel or cutting board with flour or cornmeal. Stretch or roll dough into a large thin oval, making sure that the dough does not stick to the board. If the dough is sticking, add more flour or cornmeal under the dough. Brush dough with oil and top with tomato sauce, sautéed spinach, and ricotta. Very carefully, slide the pizza to the hot stone and bake until the crust is deep golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Baking sheet instructions: Generously drizzle a large rimmed baking sheet pan with oil. Place dough onto pan and coat in the oil. Stretch or roll dough into a large thin oval, top pizza, and bake 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer pizza to a large cutting board, slice, and serve with red pepper and Parmesan cheese.
















