For as long as Eric & I have been together, pizza has been part of our weekly dinner plan. In high school, it was a Friday or Saturday night date at Pizza Hut in our hometown. During college, it was Domino’s Pizza, usually delivered. And always during the weekend. After we got married, we would find a local pizza parlor in whatever town we were living in, although it sometimes took a while to find a favored pizza place in a new area. Once the kids came along and were old enough to eat pizza, we started making our own pizzas at home. And it was always on Friday nights.
Given our Friday Night Pizza tradition, up to now, I have only posted pizza recipes here on Fridays. Then I learned that while many families have pizza nights, not all of them are Fridays. Any day can be a pizza night, including Tuesday! Here’s a great version that uses fresh tomatoes and seasoned ricotta, two of my favorite toppings, along with pesto, chicken, and mozzarella. Happy Pizza Night!
Pesto Pizza with Chicken, Mozzarella, and Ricotta
Pesto Pizza with Chicken, Mozzarella, and Ricotta (adapted from southernliving.com) Total Time Required: 35 minutes, Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (1 small onion or 1/2 large onion)
- 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 tablespoons chicken stock
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup prepared pesto
- 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips
- flour for rolling out the dough
- cornmeal for the pizza peel
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 475°F and place a pizza stone in the oven. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 3 minutes.
Start by sautéing the mushrooms.
Add the onion to the pan and sauté for an additional 4 minutes.
Add the onions to the pan and sauté them as well.
Add the chicken and chicken stock to the mixture and cook for 1 minute longer. Set the pan aside.
Add the chicken and broth to the veggies in the pan.
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, salt, and pepper. Set it aside.
Combine the ricotta with the salt and pepper.
Sprinkle a pastry board with flour and roll out the pizza dough to a 14-inch circle. Sprinkle a pizza peel generously with cornmeal and transfer the rolled out dough to the peel. Spread the dough evenly with pesto, leaving a 3/4-inch border.
Roll out the dough and spread the pesto on it.
Spread the chicken mixture evenly over the pesto.
Add the chicken mixture to the pizza.
Top the pizza evenly with the shredded mozzarella and tomato slices, and dot it with the ricotta mixture.
Add the mozzarella and tomatoes to the pizza . . .
. . . then the seasoned ricotta.
Slide the pizza from the peel to the preheated pizza stone and bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Remove the pizza from the oven when the cheese has melted and it starts to brown.
Add the basil strips to the pizza.
Remove the pizza from the oven with the peel and top it with the basil strips. Let the pizza stand for 5 minutes, then cut it into 8 pieces and serve.
Slice & Serve!
Pizza is meant to be enjoyed any night! ~Linda
Pesto Pizza with Chicken, Mozzarella, and Ricotta (adapted from southernliving.com) Total Time Required: 35 minutes, Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (1 small onion or 1/2 large onion)
- 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 tablespoons chicken stock
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup prepared pesto
- 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips
- flour for rolling out the dough
- cornmeal for the pizza peel
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 475°F and place a pizza stone in the oven. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the onion to the pan and sauté for an additional 4 minutes. Add the chicken and chicken stock to the mixture and cook for 1 minute longer. Set the pan aside.
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, salt, and pepper. Set it aside.
Sprinkle a pastry board with flour and roll out the pizza dough to a 14-inch circle. Sprinkle a pizza peel generously with cornmeal and transfer the rolled out dough to the peel.
Spread the dough evenly with pesto, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Spread the chicken mixture evenly over the pesto. Top the pizza evenly with the shredded mozzarella and tomato slices, and dot it with the ricotta mixture. Slide the pizza from the peel to the preheated pizza stone and bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese melts. Remove the pizza from the oven with the peel and top it with the basil strips. Let the pizza stand for 5 minutes, then cut it into 8 pieces and serve.