Prosciutto + Ricotta Pizza with Spring Onions | Summer Recipes

Pizza isn’t something that I get to experiment with very often. The two teenagers in my house are very opposed to anything BUT traditional pizza. I made a barbecue chicken pizza once and you would have thought the sky was falling with the reaction it received. Fortunately, that was not long after I moved in and they’ve since become a bit more open to experimentation. Just not when it comes to pizza. I was really craving a “white” pizza one night earlier this summer which inspired this recipe. To get away with it at dinner, I called it a flatbread instead. You’d be surprised what tweaking the language can actually do in this house.

A “white” pizza is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of a red sauce at the base, it’s a white “sauce” or in this case...cheese. Ricotta is an ingredient I fall more and more in love with. It has a mild flavor making it a perfect canvas ingredient. Use it as your base and build up. I love to mix it with herbs which is how this creamy and herby base came about. It’s a summery pizza, light but full of natural flavors.

Ricotta, unlike many other cheeses is not salty. Prosciutto, on the other hand, is super salty. They were practically made for each other! Add some sauteed spinach and onions, a little more flavor with additional herbs and a touch more cheese. A nice, pungent Parmesan on top rounds out the flavors well. The secret ingredient that will add brightness is the lemon zest. It’s hardly noticeable but brings a touch of acid to the pizza cutting the saltiness. This is a pizza that you’ll want to make year round, but especially in these last few summer days. And if the kids insist that they only want “real” pizza, just do what I did and tell them it’s a flatbread.

Prosciutto + Ricotta Pizza with Spring Onions
Ingredients:
1 roll or package of store-bought Pizza Dough
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
4-6 Spring Onions, sliced
5 ounces Spinach
1 cup Ricotta Cheese
¼ cup Parsley, chopped
⅓ cup Basil, chopped
1 tsp. Lemon Zest
5 ounces thinly sliced Prosciutto (about 8-10 pieces)
1 tbsp. Chives, finely chopped
¼ cup Parmesan, shredded
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
1 - Preheat the oven to 425 degrees*. Arrange the pizza dough onto a rectangular baking sheet or pizza pan and brush with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Set aside. (The shape of your pizza crust will depend on the store-bought version you buy. Mine rolled out in a rectangular shape.)

2 - Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the onions and cook 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Saute until the spinach has wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3 - Mix together the ricotta, parsley, basil and lemon zest until all of the ingredients are well-incorporated. Spread evenly over the pizza dough using a small rubber spatula. Be careful not to pierce or rip the pizza dough.

4 - Top the ricotta mixture with the sauteed onions and spinach. Rip the prosciutto slices once or twice and arrange on top of the pizza. Sprinkle with Parmesan and chives. Bake 10-15 minutes until the dough is golden and the Parmesan cheese has melted. Cut into squares and serve.

*For the temperature, follow the directions according to your pizza dough. The directions for mine required a 425 degree oven but if your dough says differently, use that temperature instead. All of the ingredients are cooked except for the pizza dough so you’re baking it specifically for the crust.