Spinach Ricotta Pizza
Creamy lemon-ricotta and garlicky wilted spinach over a crisp, golden crust, finished with melty mozzarella and Parmesan. This white pizza is elegant enough for guests and easy enough for a Tuesday — no red sauce, all flavor.
Prep
20 min
Cook
15 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Ingredients
Pizza
- 1 lb pizza dough, room temperature
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 oz fresh spinach (about 10 cups packed)
- 1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta, drained if watery
- 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, divided
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced or torn
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest (from 1 lemon
Method
- 1
Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the center rack and heat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Rest refrigerated dough at room temperature 30 minutes, then stretch into a 14-inch round about 1/4 inch thick. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant but not brown.
- 2
Add the spinach in batches, tossing until fully wilted and most liquid evaporates, about 4 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, transfer to a colander and press out every drop of moisture. Roughly chop if the leaves are large. Stir the ricotta with 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes and lemon zest until smooth and flavorful.
- 3
Transfer the stretched dough to parchment, brush with the remaining tablespoon of oil leaving a 1-inch border, and spread the ricotta mixture evenly over it. Scatter the wilted spinach over the ricotta, arrange the mozzarella across the top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano.
- 4
Slide the pizza on its parchment onto the hot stone and bake 12–15 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden and the cheese bubbles with brown spots. Rest 3 minutes, then finish with extra red pepper flakes and a drizzle of olive oil before slicing.
Tips
- Squeeze every drop of liquid from the spinach — wet spinach is the one thing that makes the center soggy.
- For deeper flavor, warm the garlic in the olive oil over low heat for 5 minutes before wilting the spinach.
- Leftovers keep 2 days; reheat directly in a hot skillet to bring the crust back to crisp.
Get the recipes first
New comfort food recipes in your inbox — no spam, unsubscribe any time.