Artichoke, Tomato & Three Cheese Pizza
Submitted by joannas
Artichoke, tomato, and three-cheese pizza with creamy ricotta, melty mozzarella, and sharp Asiago over Roma tomatoes and marinated artichoke hearts. The Italian-style white pizza with bright flavor.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
25 minREADY
45 minThis artichoke and three-cheese pizza is a smart riff on the white pizza template, using ricotta as the saucy base instead of tomato sauce, then layering mozzarella, Asiago, and bright pops of tomato and artichoke hearts on top. The result lands closer to an Italian pizza bianca than American-style red pie.
Draining the chopped tomatoes for 30 minutes is the move that separates this from a soggy disaster. Roma tomatoes have less water than other varieties but still release plenty of liquid in a hot oven, the salt-and-strain step pulls that out before they ever hit the dough.
Adding the Asiago in two stages is intentional. Some goes into the ricotta mixture for distributed flavor, and the rest scatters on top in the last 5 to 10 minutes so it browns into a sharp, slightly crispy finish.
Pro Tips
- Use room-temperature pizza dough, cold dough fights you when you stretch it and snaps back. Take it out 30 minutes before shaping.
- Cube the mozzarella instead of shredding, the cubes melt into pillowy pockets instead of disappearing into a flat layer.
- Drain the marinated artichokes well and pat dry with paper towels, oil-soaked artichokes make the crust greasy.
- Bake on a preheated pizza stone or steel if you have one for a crisper bottom crust.
Variations
- Add thin slices of prosciutto right after the pizza comes out of the oven for a salty meat finish that doesn’t toughen in the heat.
- Top with a handful of fresh arugula and a drizzle of balsamic glaze just before serving for a salad-pizza combo.
- Sub goat cheese for the ricotta for a tangier, more pronounced cheese base.
Ingredients
Directions
In a stainless-steel strainer, combine the chopped tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Set aside 30 minutes to drain excess liquid.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, ¼ cup Asiago, basil, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper.
Roll out or stretch pizza dough to fit a 12-inch round pizza pan.
Drizzle 1 teaspoon basil oil over the dough and spread evenly with the ricotta mixture.
Scatter ½ the tomatoes and ½ the mozzarella over the ricotta.
Arrange the artichoke hearts on the pizza and scatter with the remaining tomatoes and mozzarella.
Drizzle with the remaining teaspoon basil olive oil.
Bake pizza 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup Asiago and return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheeses are melted.
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