What's For Dinner Wednesday: Pepperoni Pizza with Whipped Ricotta

This dressed up version of pepperoni pizza is the perfect way to elevate your favorite delivery dinner and turn it into something that's different and worthy of serving to company!

 I love pizza. But truthfully, pepperoni is rarely my top choice for toppings. Pepperoni can sometimes be too greasy or salty for me and I usually prefer my pizza topped with veggies which is boring, I know. That said, when Alex and I were recently at Coalfire Pizza for dinner I saw this pizza arrive on the table next to ours and I couldn't help but feel a little order envy. A pepperoni pizza arrived in front of our neighbors with a sprinkling of fresh green arugula and the prettiest little piped spirals of whipped ricotta. I was jealous, hungry, and inspired all at the same time.

So, I decided to do my best to recreate this gorgeous pizza at home and the result was not only delicious, but a really beautiful presentation for an otherwise simple pizza.

This pizza begins with one of my favorite cooking shortcuts: fresh pizza dough from Whole Foods. Almost every pizza recipe you've seen on this blog have begun with this amazing shortcut because A. It makes homemade pizza on a weeknight and B. Baking with yeast is a skill that I cannot seem to master.

Beyond that, the pizza building continues like your standard pepperoni pie: a simple tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, and sliced pepperoni (I splurged on the good kind from the deli). The real magic happens after the pizza baked and its topped with a sprinkle of fresh sweet basil and dollops of lightly seasoned and freshly whipped ricotta. Whipping the ricotta completely changes its texture from thick and dense to airy and velvety. Dotted on the pizza, it adds some great texture, richness, and of course, totally elevates the look of your pizza!


Ingredients:

• 12 oz. fresh pizza dough
• Olive oil, as needed
• 1/2 cup plain tomato sauce 
• 1/2 tsp. dry Italian seasoning
• 1-1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 oz. sliced pepperoni
• 3/4 cup ricotta
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

 Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

 Roll pizza dough out on parchment paper to approximately 1/2-inch thickness, using a little olive oil to ensure the dough doesn't stick to your fingers while handling. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Use a spoon to spread over the top of the pizza crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over the top of the sauce and follow with an evenly spaced layer of pepperoni.

Bake for 10 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese becomes brown and bubbly.

While the pizza bakes, add ricotta to a medium mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 4-5 minutes until ricotta is light and fluffy.

Remove pizza from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Sprinkle basil over the top of the pizza and drop a few heaping spoonfuls of the whipped ricotta evenly on top.

Slice the pizza and serve.