The usual standard for white pizza is to use ricotta cheese. While I do like ricotta (heck I like nearly every cheese), I don’t usually have it in my fridge. So, I switched cheeses and used mozzarella instead. The nice thing about this recipe (or nearly any pizza recipe) it’s flexible and you can change it to suit your tastes or whatever ingredients you have at hand.
In this case, I used caramelized onions (because I always have onions), sun dried tomatoes (because I still have that huge jar to use up), and some fresh basil.
My original plan was to make the dough myself, but I was tired so I bought pre-made dough at the store. If you have more time and energy, Smitten Kitchen has a great pizza dough recipe for one.
Once the dough is ready (or bought), all you have to do is cook the onions, soak the tomatoes, and cut up the cheese. If you’re really pressed for time (or feeling lazy) use the pre-shredded mozzarella. I recommend you get the fresh if possible though; it tastes much better.
This personal white pizza is made without ricotta, but does have fresh mozzarella, caramelized onions, and sun-dried tomatoes.
Ingredients
- Store bought or homemade pizza dough
- 4-5 sun dried tomatoes
- 2 T olive oil
- 1/4 C chopped onions
- 1/4C grated fresh mozzarella
- 1 T olive oil
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
- Run some hot water (not boiling, just hot) and soak the sun dried tomatoes for about 15 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onions, and cook slowly, until browned.
- Grate the mozzarella cheese.
- Drain the tomatoes.
- If you bought your dough, cut it in half. Set the other half aside and use another day.
- Press the air out of the dough and push it out into a rough circle.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the dough, and add the onions and tomatoes.
- Drizzle with more olive oil.
- Sprinkle a flat sheet pan (or pizza stone if you have one) with cornmeal (so it doesn't stick).
- Put into the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the crust is brown and bubbly.
- Top with fresh basil leaves.
Substitutions and Variations for Pizza Without Ricotta
Of course, there are almost as many possibilities for this as there are ingredients.
- Use a mixture of mozzarella and goat cheese
- Add mushrooms and/or eggplant to the onions
- Saute some spinach after the onions are done and add that to the pizza
- Add some garlic
- Sprinkle some parmesan or manchego on top
Tools and Ingredients for White Pizza Without Ricotta
As much as I love my zester, there are times when only an old-fashioned box grater will do the job. The zester grates far too finely for this purpose. This box grater is from Oxo, so it’s easy to hold. It even comes with a little container to catch all the grated cheese (so it doesn’t get all over your counter). The container (and its lid) all fit inside the grater, to take up less space in your kitchen. Or, you can use the closed container to store any leftovers until the next time.
Trader Joe’s Sun Dried Tomatoes
Soft, moist and delicious. Use this for this pizza recipe, for pasta with sun dried tomatoes and feta, stuff them into chicken, or make them with pasta in a cream sauce.
More Pizza Recipes
Rosemary Potato Roasted Garlic Pizza
Another no tomato sauce pizza, this one is a Roman classic, call it potato chip pizza if you like. Because if one starch is good, two starches are better!
Goat Cheese Caramelized Onion Pizza
Goat cheese, and lots of veggies are another different twist on the usual pizza. Switch it around with spinach, mozzarella, and whatever veggies suit you. You could even crumble some sausage on top.
The super-lazy at home pizza. Just make a tortilla crust (or even use a pita bread or pre-made tortilla), pile on the veggies and toppings, and you’re good to go.