White Pizza with Lemony Arugula
At this point in my life, I’m proud to say I have practically perfected my homemade pizza game. I mean, when you make it as often as I do, it’s no surprise that I am queen of making some tasty ‘zas!
This particular pizza recipe is an all-time favorite, and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to officially share the recipe on the blog. Inspired by none other than my queen, Ina Garten, these white pizzas with lemony arugula are in our regular homemade pizza rotation for good reason. They are simple to make, incredibly cheesy, scrumptious, crowd-pleasing and downright gorgeous. I mean look at that golden brown, gooey cheese and that arugula!
Perfect for entertaining and making an impressive pizza statement, these white pizzas feature a garlic and herb pizza crust, “good” olive oil, shredded mozzarella and creamy goat cheese for a pizza base that would honestly be perfect as is. But my favorite part of this pizza is the topping of a simple, lemon, olive oil and sea salt dressed arugula salad. The key is to top the pizza when it’s hot so the peppery, lemony arugula slightly wilts into this cheesy yet fresh slice.
Trust me when I say you’ll be adding these easy and utterly delicious pizzas into your weekly pizza night routine for years to come!
White Pizza with Lemony Arugula
Inspired by Ina Garten’s White Pizzas with Arugula recipe
Ingredients
1 store-bought garlic and herb pizza dough (you can find these at Trader Joe’s) OR regular pizza dough
Good extra virgin olive oil (the Kirkland brand is what we use and it is primo)
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (only if using regular pizza dough)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz goat cheese
1 1/2 cups arugula
Juice of half lemon
Maldon sea salt
Directions
Before baking, set pizza dough on counter for 30-60 minutes to come to room temperature. It will be easier to work with, trust me!
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll dough out on a sheet pan to a large circle or rectangle (go with the dough on this one and form the shape that’s feeling right! There’s no wrong way here). Once the dough is about 1/2 inch thick and evenly spread out, drizzle some olive oil on the crust and evenly coat dough on both sides. Season crust with Kosher salt on one side. If using a regular pizza dough, evenly sprinkle Italian seasoning over crust. Bake for 10-12 minutes until just golden brown.
Remove dough from oven and drizzle with more olive oil, spreading to edges (this is your “sauce”). Evenly sprinkle mozzarella over dough, leaving about 1/4 inch of crust across the edges. Crumble goat cheese evenly on top of mozzarella. Bake for another 8-10 minutes until cheese is golden brown and bubbling and crust edges are golden brown.
In a medium bowl, toss arugula with lemon juice, olive and a pinch of Maldon sea salt gently with fingers. Place on top of pizza when it’s hot so the arugula slightly wilts. Cut into slices and serve.
