Spinach Ricotta Pizza Recipes

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine both kinds of flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Stir 1 1/4 cups warm water with the olive oil and yeast and pour into the well in the flour bowl. Stir until a soft and shaggy dough forms and then turn out onto a lightly-floured board and knead until smooth and the dough springs back when pressed with your thumb. Transfer to a bowl coated with nonstick cooking spray, mist the dough ball, cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Divide the dough into 2 pieces and roll each into a ball. Cover loosely and let rest an additional 30 minutes.
• For the sauce: Combine the oregano, tomatoes and garlic in a small skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to cook, stirring and lightly mashing the tomatoes with a spatula, until the tomatoes have released their liquid and the sauce has become thick and jammy, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and stir in the basil.
• For assembling the pizza: Place 2 baking sheets in the oven and turn the oven to 500 degrees F. Stretch and/or roll each piece of dough until very thin and place each on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper that is the same size as the baking sheets heating in the oven (the dough will be a rustic oval shape). Rub each piece of dough with 1 teaspoon of the oil, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and carefully transfer to the hot baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and evenly spread each pizza crust with the sauce, spreading about 1/2 inch from the edge, and then top with the mozzarella, Parmesan and spinach. Return to the oven and continue to bake until the crust is crisp and the cheese has melted and is browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes, rotating the pans if necessary. Remove from the oven and place small spoonfuls of the ricotta on the pizzas and sprinkle with fresh basil. Sprinkle the pizzas with salt and crushed red pepper flakes, if using.

Steps:

• Position an oven rack on the 2nd-lowest level in the oven; place a baking stone on the rack; position another rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat oven to 500°.
• Coat a 12-inch pizza screen or perforated pizza pan with cooking spray.
• Lightly dust pizza dough with flour; lay dough in prepared pan and gently stretch into a 12-inch round.
• Top the pizza: brush the dough with 1 tablespoons olive oil.
• Spread the pizza sauce evenly over dough, leaving a ¼-inch border.
• Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top; distribute the spinach evenly over the top and sprinkle garlic over the spinach.
• Cover the spinach with the mozzarella.
• Using a teaspoon, arrange little globs of ricotta evenly over the top.
• Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoons olive oil.
• Place pizza in oven on the upper rack.
• Bake 10 minutes, until crust is crisp and golden brown.
• Using a pizza peel, lift pizza off the pan and place the crust directly on the baking stone; remove pizza pan from oven.
• Bake about 3 more minutes, until bottom of crust is golden brown.
• Using the peel, remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board.
• Arrange tomato slices over the top; slice and serve.

Steps:

• Divide dough into two and roll out into two thin crusts. Lightly brush olive oil to taste on top and bake the dough for 5 minutes in a 425 degree oven on a greased and floured pan.
• Meanwhile grate the four tomatoes into a medium bowl. If your tomatoes are really ripe, you can drain the excess liquid slighlty. Add the pressed garlic and olive oil.
• Add the spinach to a medium pan over medium heat and saute with salt and pepper to taste until half-wilted.
• Spread the tomato mixture on both crusts. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes. This should get rid of any excess liquid in the sauce.
• Top the pizzas with spinach, basil, and a light sprinkling of mozzarella. Finish by placing small dallops of ricotta around the pizza, using a small spoon.
• Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese bubbles and begins to brown.

Steps:

• Position an oven rack on the second-lowest level in the oven and place a baking stone on the rack. Position another rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
• Coat a 12-inch pizza screen or perforated pizza pan with the cooking spray. Remove the dough from the plastic bag and place on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly dust the dough with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10-inch round without rolling over the edges. Lift the dough and check to make sure the dough isn't sticking to the work surface. Shake the excess flour from the dough.
• Toss the dough until it is stretched to a 12-inch circle and place it on the prepared pizza screen or pan. Alternatively, lay the dough on the prepared screen or pan and gently stretch the dough into a 12-inch round.
• To top the pizza, brush the dough with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top. Scatter the spinach over the top and sprinkle the garlic over the spinach. Cover the spinach with the mozzarella. Using a teaspoon or your fingers, arrange little globs of ricotta evenly over the top. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top.
• Place the pizza in the oven on the upper rack. (Work quickly to slide the pizza into the oven and close the door so the oven temperature doesn't drop too much.) Bake the pizza until the crust is crisp and golden brown, 10 minutes. Using a pizza peel, lift the pizza off the screen or pan and place the crust directly on the baking stone.
• Using the peel or wearing thick oven mitts, remove the screen or pan from the oven. Continue baking the pizza until the bottom of the crust is golden brown, about 3 minutes longer. Using the peel, remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Arrange the tomato slices over the top, if desired. Slice the pizza into wedges and serve immediately.