Think cheese pizza is boring? Try changing it up with the more sophisticated White Pizza recipe. An herb and garlic infused olive oil is spread on a pizza crust that is topped with three cheeses for a delicious, cheesy pizza.
We are all over pizza night – some of our other favorites are Buffalo Chicken Pizza and also Pizza Cups!
We have been a pizza making family for many, many years now. One of my daughter’s first favorite foods was pizza. And today, pizza is my youngest’s favorite thing that I make.
But when it comes to pizza night, the kids always choose the same. Cheese for one, pepperoni for the other.
Not that I think there is anything wrong with cheese pizza. Or with pepperoni pizza. But sometimes you need something a little extra.
Like garlic and rosemary brushed over your crust. And then topped with 3 different cheeses. And a little red pepper flake for a hint of heat. This White Pizza (or Pizza Bianca) is one of my favorite pizza night choices.
Yes, this is my kind of pizza night.
Ingredients
Dough: Let’s start by talking about the dough. You can always buy dough, but I urge you to try my recipe for the best homemade pizza dough. It has tons of 5 star ratings, and I really do believe it’s the best pizza dough recipe! Or if you want to start your dough the night before, you can make this artisan pizza dough.
Sauce: This pizza doesn’t use a traditional pizza sauce (one reason it’s called a white pizza) but instead, you brush on a garlic and rosemary infused olive oil. All you need for it are those three ingredients – olive oil, garlic and rosemary. I use fresh rosemary, but if you want to use dry, remember that dry rosemary is pretty strong. You’ll only need about 1/4 teaspoon and you’ll want to make sure you chop it finely.
Cheese: For your three cheeses, you’ll need ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan. I first fell in love with ricotta on pizza when I made this Butternut Squash and Sage Pizza. And now, I really just want to put it on everything! For the mozzarella and parmesan, I like to shred them myself, as they will melt better that way.
Topping: To top it off, I add just a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. You don’t need much – just enough to give a little bit of a kick. (Although I have to admit that if I were making this just for myself, I’d probably lay it on heavier, because I love the spice!)
You could also top your finished pizza off with chopped parsley, if you want a fresh component to finish it off.
How to Make White Pizza
This is pretty straightforward, but here is how you make it!
- Combine your olive oil, garlic and rosemary, and brush that on your crust that has been rolled out.
- Dollop the ricotta over the top, then gently spread.
- Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese.
- Then sprinkle on the parmesan cheese.
- Top with the red chili flakes.
- Bake the pizza until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.
White Pizza Tips and Tricks
- If you are making the pizza dough, you could add in some garlic and rosemary straight to the dough, then just brush on some olive oil before adding the cheeses.
- The easiest way to evenly spread the ricotta is to dollop it onto the pizza then gently spread it with a spoon or a spatula. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
- I just use a cheaper mozzarella that shreds (and melts) easily, but if you are using a fresh mozzarella, you could just slice it and add it to the top of the pizza.
- I like to use parchment paper to make my pizza. That way I use less flour while shaping my dough, and it is much easier to transfer to my pizza stone. If you are using a pizza pan or baking the pizza on a baking sheet, you won’t need to use parchment paper.
- If you like a crisper pizza crust, prebake the crust for about 5 minutes before adding the toppings.
- This actually makes leftovers that are pretty decent. I like to reheat my pizza on the stovetop, though, in a skillet with a lid.
Pizza Variations
While this is delicious just as written, you could always add a few things to take it up a notch, if desired:
- Top with arugula and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice
- Fry up some prosciutto and sprinkle it over the top
- Add sliced mushrooms – or any other veggie you like!
- Sprinkle freshly torn basil over the baked pizza
More Pizza Recipes
Sausage and Peppers Pizza
Blue Cheese and Bacon Pizza
Pesto Pizza
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
Teriyaki Chicken Pizza
Taco Pizza
Mediterranean Pizza
Clam and Bacon Pizza
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White Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb pizza dough*
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Place a pizza stone in the oven**. Preheat the oven to 450º-500ºF for at least 30 minutes.
- Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper and flatten the pizza dough into a large circle, about 14” in diameter.
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary and olive oil. Brush the olive oil mixture over the crust.
- Dollop the ricotta evenly over the crust and gently spread it out. Sprinkle on the mozzarella and the parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the top – you only need a little bit – less than half a teaspoon, depending on how much heat you want.
- Bake the pizza in the preheated oven until the edges are browned and the cheese is melted, about 10-12 minutes.
- Cut into slices and serve.
Kate says
Really good pizza. I added roasted red peppers and cooked spicy chicken sausage. Delish!
Laurie says
I put some fresh baby spinach on top!! Yum!!!
Ruth says
My favorite white pizza blend ricotta in bowl with garlic,salt pepper spread on pizza, sprinkle parmesan , add mozzarella Managua
Ann E. Peters says
The flavors of the recipe were good, and I used a premade dough from Publix called everything bagel crust which was very tasty. However I found that the crust even though I cooked it for the correct amount of time and it looked beautiful was still a little doughy. I don’t know if that was from the garlic oil mixture spread on it. I think the next time I make this I will bake the crust for a few minutes and then put on the toppings.
Jill @ MadAboutMacarons says
I’m saying the same 12 years later, wait, my eldest is nearly…. 13! Och no. Happy sweet birthday to your 4 yr old – admire you with 2 more and doing a blog – supermum! This is seriously my kind of pizza and love the look of your squash and sage; perfect combos!
Aggie says
Awww, I feel like you just had her Deb!! It does go by so fast. Happy birthday Abbi!!
And I could eat this pizza every single day.
Anna @ hiddenponies says
Happy birthday to your little girlie! My oldest is a girl too and while I love the “big brother” idea, I totally agree that I wouldn’t know what to do without her and her helpful nature! My daughter would love this pizza too – we instituted a weekly pizza night as part of our new years’ goals so I’ll be trying this 🙂
teresa says
in philly my favorite thing in the world was white pizza. so flavorful and garlicky, this is making me crave it! YUMMY!
Christine says
Can’t go wrong with pizza. Your pizza looks good.
Chels R. says
Happy Birthday to your little Abbi!!! I adore Ricotta on Pizza. So good!
a farmer in the dell says
happy birthday to your little girl. I love this pizza recipe! yum.
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
I’m in love! No red sauce pizza for the win!! 🙂
Bree {Skinny Mommy} says
Happy Birthday to your little girl! I love that you added ricotta on top here. I have never tried that–but now I need to!
Jennifer | Mother Thyme says
Happy Birthday to your daughter! This pizza looks amazing and I totally love ricotta on top of pizza!
Joanne says
Happy birthday Abbi! I never liked sauce much when I was little and to this day, pizza for me is all about the cheese. Loving this!
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction says
This pizza sounds like a perfect way to celebrate a birthday!