White Pizza with Bacon and Arugula
This simple but irresistible three-cheese white pizza is topped with crispy bacon and fresh arugula for maximum flavor.
We take homemade pizza very seriously at our house. It’s a weekly menu staple and my family has come to expect it on Friday nights. My kids are pretty basic in their pizza preferences and prefer to stick with classic pepperoni pizza, but a few weeks ago we had some friends over for dinner and I used the opportunity to make the adults a few other less traditional options.
One of them was this white cheese pizza topped with mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, bacon and arugula. I created it almost on the fly, but it was easily everyone’s favorite. It’s creamy, super cheesy, and packed with so much flavor. Plus, the fresh arugula piled on top is such a great textural and flavor contrast. It’s almost like a pizza and salad in one!
What is White Pizza?
White pizza, or pizza bianca, is basically just a pizza without traditional tomato sauce. Often it’s topped with several cheeses, garlic and veggies. For my variation I’ve topped this pizza with:
- Olive oil
- Ricotta cheese mixed with fresh garlic, salt and pepper
- Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Crispy bacon
- Arugula that’s been tossed with a little olive oil and salt
My best tips for making pizza at home
- I love my homemade pizza dough recipe, but there is nothing wrong with using store-bought pizza dough. Look for prepared (but not baked) pizza dough at your grocery store’s bakery section or frozen section.
- Looking to prep homemade pizza dough in advance? I’ve got a tip for just how to do that.
- Invest in a pizza stone! I held out for the longest time because my kitchen is already overflowing with tools and gadgets, but this is one I wish I’d gotten years earlier.
- For less mess in the oven, bake the pizza on parchment paper instead of using cornmeal to prevent the pizza from sticking to the stone.
- Bake at 500°F, which is likely as hot as your oven will go. Don’t be scared! This quickly gives the crust a crispy exterior and melts the cheese on top. A lower temperature and longer bake time may dry the pizza out by the time it’s done.
- Other pizza tools I love— a wood pizza peel that doubles as a server, and a good pizza wheel.
Shop tools for this recipe
White Pizza with Bacon and Arugula
Ingredients
- 1/2 of basic pizza dough recipe or 1 lb store-bought pizza dough
- Olive oil , for drizzling
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 strips cooked bacon , roughly chopped
- 2 cups fresh arugula
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500°F. If using a pizza stone, preheat along with the oven.
- Roll out or stretch pizza dough to a large circle about 1/2-inch thick. Drizzle with olive oil.
- In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Spread over the pizza dough.
- Top with mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and cooked bacon.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and starting to brown.
- Toss arugula with a little olive oil and some salt and pepper. Top pizza with arugula just before serving.
very nice taste and the crust was crispy thank you!
This is a prime example of simple ingredients making a pizza that exceeds the sum of its parts. Handmade dough, plus fresh ricotta and mozzarella–along with just-picked arugula–brought this pie to another level. Completely delicious, indeed.