I had never heard of rosemary potato pizza (or pizza con potate – which sounds sooo much better than the English translation) until recently. But when a friend described it, I had to have it. Sadly, he lives 3,000 miles away. And, the place that serves it only has it seasonally. Either that, or I had to fly to Italy. So, I decided to make my own pizza. I ended up mind melding two recipes and came up with rosemary potato roasted garlic pizza with thin slices of potatoes, roasted garlic, and mozzarella cheese.
The potato slices are soaked in salted water to soften and then layered on top of the pizza to get crispy, while the cheese turns brown and bubbly. Roasting the garlic transforms it into something sweet, mellow, and spreadable (incidentally this is also great on crusty bread). All topped with sprigs of fresh rosemary, a drizzle of olive oil, and grated Romano cheese.
And yeah, you can definitely tell everyone you’re making potato chip pizza for dinner!
I’ve included the recipe and instructions to make your own dough, but feel free to take the easy route and buy pre-made dough from your supermarket or local pizza joint. That will get you pizza in about an hour.
Making the dough yourself does require a bit of time and effort, so it’s definitely a weekend, rather than weeknight meal. And, since this is a long weekend in the US, it’s the perfect time to try it.
So, order of operations: first start the dough (if you’re making your own). Then, while that’s rising, slice and soak the potatoes. While they soak, roast the garlic. Then wait for a while, while the dough rises, and put it all together. Once all the components are ready, it comes together pretty quickly.
The pizza is enough for one dinner, or you can split the dough recipe in half and use it for two lunches. The dough will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. Make sure to wrap it tightly so it doesn’t dry out. Or, you can freeze it.
Rosemary Potato Roasted Garlic Pizza
A twist on a classic Roman pizza with crispy potatoes, mellow roasted garlic, fresh rosemary, and two cheeses
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (or 1/2 tsp instant yeast)
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water (you may need 1 or 2 T more)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Potato Topping
- 1 medium-large potato, sliced thinly
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 2 garlic cloves
- olive oil
- 1/2 C mozzarella, shredded or ciliegine (cherry size)
- small sprig fresh rosemary (about 1 1/2 tsp)
- grated Romano cheese
Instructions
Pizza Dough
- Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and stir them together.
- Add the water and the olive oil, stirring, until it sticks together in one large clump.
- Flour a board or counter, remove the ball of dough, and put it on the counter.
- Knead it for a minute or so until it's smooth and holds together in a ball.
- Oil the bowl (I use about a capful of oil), put the ball back in and turn it to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean plastic bag.
- Let it sit for about an hour, until the dough doubles in size.
- Turn it back onto the counter, and press out the dough with your hands to get the air out. Roll it back into a ball and let it sit for another twenty minutes, covered.
- Place the dough in a pizza stone, baking sheet, or a nonstick shallow pan. Flatten the ball and push the dough outward with your fingers to form a circle. If you have a nonstick pan, you're ready to bake. If not, sprinkle it with cornmeal or farina to keep the pizza from sticking.
Potato Topping
- While the pizza dough is rising the first time, start the potatoes. Slice one medium-large potato thinly with a knife, a food processor, or a mandoline (vegetable slicer). Put them in a bowl of warm water with one teaspoon of salt and let them sit for about 30-40 minutes,
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Take two cloves of garlic, cut the tops off, and place them in a small piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with about a teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap the cloves in the foil and seal it. Then roast for 40 minutes.
- Once the potatoes have soaked, drain them and pat them as dry as you can.
- When the garlic is ready, squeeze the insides out from the skin.
- Once the pizza has risen for the second time, you're ready to put everything together.
- Leave the oven on and raise the temperature as high as it will go.
- Press the pizza dough into your pan, pushing outward from the center.
- Layer the potatoes on top, then the mozzarella cheese, the second teaspoon of salt, the roasted garlic, and a drizzle of olive oil (1 -2 tsp). Top with fresh rosemary and grated romano cheese.
- Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until the potatoes get crispy on top and the cheese melts.
Rosemary Potato Roasted Garlic Pizza Substitutions and Variations
- add some cooked chicken
- top with sliced red onion
- add some hot red pepper flakes
- switch the cheeses and use fontina
- or, add some crumbled bacon
More Pizza Recipes
Goat Cheese Caramelized Onion Pizza
Slow-cooked onions, tangy goat cheese, earthy spinach, and crispy bell pepper cooked together with a pre-made crust. Easy and delicious!
White Pizza Recipe Without Ricotta
I love white pizza, and like ricotta, but somehow… not together. Instead, this pizza has lots of creamy mozzarella and summery basil.
A few simple ingredients combine for an impressive result. Make your own dough, or buy it pre-made from the market or your favorite pizza place. Make it vegan, as is, or add some cheese.