Ultimate White Pizza

 

White Slice

Who doesn't like pizza? This is one is rated 'A' for adults only.

Pizza dough literally is a blank canvas. The twist here is that I have mixed ricotta cheese with Greek yogurt to make a tangy spread.

The Base

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 pinch nutmeg (1/8 of a teaspoon)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
• 2 tbsp milk (or more to get a pudding like consistency)

Toppings

• 1/2 cup golden onion (thinly sliced)
• 1/2 cup fennel (thinly sliced)
• 1/4 cup Granny Smith apple (thinly sliced)
• 2 cloves garlic (shaved very thin like Paulie did in Wise Guys)
• 1" slice Jimmy Dean sausage
• 1 handful fennel fronds (for garnish)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

The Dough

• 1 ball store-bought dough (brought to room temperature)
• all-purpose flour, as needed (to prevent sticking to the work surface)

1. Flour the ball of dough, cover with plastic or a damp cloth, bring up to room temperature.

2. Form the pie. Start with your finger tips pressing down and out to form a small circle. At this point you can get fancy and place the dough onto both of your fists and start tossing it in circles to stretch it out. A rolling pin works as well. Keep the work surface floured to prevent sticking.

3. Since this is a heavy pie, dock the dough with a fork to prevent bubbles and pre-bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes on a pizza stone or an upside down baking sheet. 

   
   
   

4. Take out the pre-baked pie crust. Raise the temperature of the oven to 500 degrees.

5. Assemble the base by combining the ricotta, yogurt, olive oil and spices. Thin out with milk as needed so you have a thick but spreadable consistency. Stir or whip the mixture well.

6. Spread the mixture on the pie crust all the way to the edge.

7. Take the time to evenly place the shaved garlic all over the pie.

8. Add the sliced fennel, onion and apple.

9. Break up the slice of Jimmy Dean sausage into bits and drop as evenly as possible onto the pie.

10. Bake at 500 degrees for about 12 minutes. The ricotta will actually start to bubble. The edge will start to get dark. It may char a little, but take out of the oven when you start to see that.

11. Garnish the pie with fennel fronds and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

If I had to do this again, I think I would oil the crust as opposed to the filling.

The pie lacks acidity, so there is no reason why you can't drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over the finished product.

The ricotta and yogurt together measure two cups. You don't have to use it all. Use what you need to cover the crust from edge to edge.