After creating our Sausage Grape and Ricotta pizza, Mike and I were in the mood for something a little more savory. Already having most of the ingredients we needed, it was easy to prepare. We decided to make a Tomato Basil and Ricotta Pizza.
We checked to make sure the oven
was still preheated to 400 degrees after our last pizza. To get all of our ingredients in order
for assembly we grated the second half of our block of lactose free cheddarcheese and set it aside. I also thinly
sliced one tomato and, most importantly, coarsely chopped the
fresh basil. No need to go crazy with the chopping – it will wilt while
in the oven. I love fresh basil on pizza
because it offers a nice clean flavor and reminds me of the summertime
(even in the depths of the long Boston winter)! My Mom has always grown fresh basil in the
warmer months. I used to love going outside and picking some to add to our dinner. In
the past I have tried to grow fresh basil in my apartment but I can’t say I
have much of a green thumb. I am going
to try again in the spring,
and hopefully I will have more success this time!
We started again by rolling out the dough. If you let the dough set to room temperature,
the dough will be more pliable and much easier to roll out. If you are
having a hard time stretching the dough, kneading
it might also help. Give it a quick knead by
folding the dough over towards you and then pushing it away. Do this a few times and you should be good to
go. Nothing is more frustrating than
rolling out pizza dough and having it bounce
right back!
We started off by spreading our sauces. Again splitting our pizza in half with the red
sauce I had prepared earlier and the 365 pesto from Whole
Foods.
Next we sprinkled the cheddar cheese,
creating an even cheesier coat! We then spread dollops of my DIY Ricotta throughout
the pizza. For
this pizza, we upped our ricotta game substantially. Since there were not going to be as many bold
flavors on this pizza, it was important to optimize the cheesy flavors. I like this pizza because
it is simple yet elegant - very
flavorful and fresh with only a few ingredients, not boring in the least!
To finish it off we covered the pizza with the thinly sliced
tomatoes and basil. I used freshly
ground black pepper and sea salt for some added flavor. Although we have made pizza many, many times
before, we made a rookie mistake with our last one by assembling it on the board and
then trying to transfer it to a sheet pan.
This time we were a little smarter and put it on tin foil to
transfer. You can transfer it this way
or even just prepare it on the sheet pan.
Either way, sprinkle a little more
flour and corn meal on the tin foil or sheet pan to make sure the pizza doesn’t stick to the pan. Place it in the oven at 400 degrees and cook
for about 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Once the pizza is fully cooked take it out and let it cool
before slicing. As soon as it has cooled enough to cut,
it is ready to serve! I love the fresh
tastes of this pizza with the basil and ricotta. In addition, pesto is one of my favorite
sauces, probably because it’s made primarily
of basil! I feel it complements the
richness of the ricotta and the saltiness of the cheddar. These pizza toppings are so delicious on both red sauce and pesto, and really made for a successful pizza
night! As much as Mike and I love dining
out, it is just as nice to sit home and enjoy homemade pizza on a Friday
night. I hope you enjoy this savory
pizza as much as we have!
Recipe Details:
Ingredients
1/2 batch pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
1/4 cup pizza sauce (to taste)
3 tablespoons pesto (to taste)
1 tomato
1/2 block cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup DIY Ricotta
6-8 basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grate 1/2 a block of cheese (about 1 cup) and set aside. Cut tomato in half and then into thin slices. Coarsely chop 6-8 leaves of basil, more to taste. Using half a batch of dough, roll out to desired thickness. Top the dough with 1/4 cup sauce on one side and 3 tablespoons of pesto on the other. Double the amount of red sauce or pesto if you will be using only one sauce. Sprinkle cheddar cheese coating evenly on top. Add clumps of ricotta on pizza as desired. Add the tomato slices and basil, distributing throughout. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.
Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust is cooked and golden brown. Allow to cool. Once cooled it is ready to serve!
Ingredients
1/2 batch pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
1/4 cup pizza sauce (to taste)
3 tablespoons pesto (to taste)
1 tomato
1/2 block cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup DIY Ricotta
6-8 basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grate 1/2 a block of cheese (about 1 cup) and set aside. Cut tomato in half and then into thin slices. Coarsely chop 6-8 leaves of basil, more to taste. Using half a batch of dough, roll out to desired thickness. Top the dough with 1/4 cup sauce on one side and 3 tablespoons of pesto on the other. Double the amount of red sauce or pesto if you will be using only one sauce. Sprinkle cheddar cheese coating evenly on top. Add clumps of ricotta on pizza as desired. Add the tomato slices and basil, distributing throughout. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.
Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust is cooked and golden brown. Allow to cool. Once cooled it is ready to serve!
