3 Cheese White Pizza with Spinach and Artichokes

A friend of mine requested a recipe for white pizza. His wife loves them. So do I. White pizza is an American variation with the red sauce omitted. Often the topping is just garlic butter and cheese. Toppings for white pizza are usually veggies, chicken, or shrimp. I like to top my white pizza with ricotta. It is less dry. I also add my ingredients at the end of the baking time.  If you add them earlier, they dry out. This is great served with a crisp, white wine.

This is a fun alternative to regular pizza.  Give it a try.

Servings: 8 slices

Hardware: Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, a large microwave safe bowl, a plate, a mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, a sieve/strainer, a rolling pin, and a pizza stone or baking sheet, pizza cutter

Time: Resting time: an hour, Prep time: 10 minutes, Baking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1-16 ounce raw, fresh pizza dough (can be found in the bakery section of most markets)
• 1-2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (divided)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1-2 tablespoons of milk
• 1 tablespoon basil pesto
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1-12 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 6 ounce bag of pre-washed baby spinach
• Cooking spray (if you don’t have a pizza stone)

1. Allow the pizza dough to rest in the bag, at room temperature, for an hour.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 400°.
3. Pour the artichokes into the sieve and allow them to drain.
4. Place the bag of spinach in the large bowl, cover it with the plate and microwave it on high for 3 minutes.  Check after 3 minutes. If it is wilted, set it aside. If it isn’t wilted, microwave it in 30 second increments until it is.
5. Mix the ricotta, ½ cup Parmesan, pesto, and garlic powder together. Add just enough milk to make the sauce spreadable. Set aside.
6. Punch the dough down. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 14-inch diameter circle and very thin. The dough is very elastic and will shrink back. Keep stretching and rolling.
7. Place the dough onto the pizza stone or the baking pan. If you are using a baking pan, spray it with cooking spray first.
8. Spread with the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 15 minutes.
9. While the pizza is baking, squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach.  Cut the spinach and artichoke hearts into bite size pieces.
10. Top the pizza with the artichokes and spinach.  Bake for 5 more minutes.  Serve warm with a side salad.