Healthy Spinach And Ricotta Pizza Recipes

HEALTHY SPINACH AND RICOTTA PIZZA

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.

RICOTTA SPINACH PIZZA (PIZZA BIANCA)

Steps:

• Make a batch of the rustic pizza dough.
• Smash the garlic cloves with the side of a chef's knife and peel.
• In a large skillet add a lug of olive oil and roast the garlic cloves on medium low flame until golden. Add the spinach with a pinch of sea salt and using a pair of tongues toss to coat in the oil and roasted garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes until wilted and remove from heat. Makes her not to overcook it.
• Add the ricotta and fontina cheese to the bowl of a food processor together with a lug of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Process until combined and set aside.
• Preheat your oven with a pizza stone in it to 500"F or as high as it will go.
• Form the pizza pies as instructed in the rustic pizza dough recipe and brush each one with a thin layer of olive oil on top. Leave about 1/2 inch at the edges. Sprinkle with some of the parmigiana region cheese on top and bake in the preheated oven on the pizza stone for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Quickly and carefully spoon some of the ricotta fontina mixture over the top of the pizza pie and bake an additional 5 minutes to your desired doneness level.
• Once the pizza comes out of the oven you want to top it with the sautéed spinach and some of the roasted garlic cloves. Shave some parmigiana reggianno over the top and serve with freshly cracked black pepper.

RICOTTA PIZZA

Steps:

• While the dough is rising, position an oven rack in the upper third (4 to 5 inches from the top). Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (or as high as your oven will go). If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while it preheats.
• If the sun-dried tomatoes are oil-packed: drain them and pat dry. If they are dry-packed, place them in a small bowl and cover with hot water to rehydrate. Let rest for 5 minutes, then pat dry. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach and garlic powder. Sauté until the greens are soft and wilted, a minute or two for spinach. Stir occasionally. It will look like way too many greens at first but will cook down significantly. Set aside.
• Turn the pizza dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 12-inch circle. If the dough stretches back on you, let it rest for several minutes, then try again (you can't rush stubborn dough).
• If cooking on a pizza stone: transfer the dough to a sheet of broiler-safe parchment paper placed on the back of a flat baking sheet (this is what I do) or a cornmeal-dusted pizza peel. If you do not have a pizza stone, lightly dust a regular baking sheet with flour or cornmeal, then place the shaped dough directly in the center.
• Assemble the ricotta pizza: scatter the sautéed spinach over the top, then dollop with ricotta. Sprinkle the kosher salt evenly over the top. Add the mozzarella, then sun-dried tomatoes.
• Carefully slide the pizza onto the stone, either with the peel or by sliding the sheet of parchment and pizza onto the stone together. (If using a baking sheet instead of a stone, simply pop the pizza into the oven) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is golden and slightly blistered, rotating 180 degrees halfway through. Transfer to a cutting board and finish with chopped basil. Sprinkle with a final pinch of salt (Note: do not use table salt or the pizza will be too salty). Slice and enjoy hot.

PIZZA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS, RICOTTA AND CHARD

Steps:

• Thirty minutes before baking the pizza, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until tender and just beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Add the thyme, garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook another 10 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are golden brown and very sweet and soft. Remove from the heat.
• While the onions are cooking, stem and wash the chard leaves, and bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Fill a medium bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the chard. Blanch for one to two minutes, just until the leaves are tender, and transfer to the ice water. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Alternatively, steam the chard for two to three minutes until wilted, and rinse with cold water. Chop the chard medium-fine.
• Roll out the dough, oil a 14-inch pizza pan and dust with cornmeal or semolina. Place the dough on the pan.
• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, egg yolk, Parmesan and chard. Spread over the pizza dough in an even layer, leaving a 1-inch border around the rim. Spread the onions over the ricotta mixture.
• Place in the hot oven, and bake 10 to 15 minutes until the crust and bits of the onion are nicely browned. Remove from the heat, and serve hot or warm.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA PIZZA

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.