Don’t get me wrong I love traditional Pizza but, crave a lighter thin crust white pizza (no tomato sauce) on occasion.
I experimented with two recipes. The first recipe was a proscuitto and arugula pizza. This pizza was a beautiful contrast of a thinly sliced Italian proscuitto paired with baby arugula greens-it was delightful. The second recipe focused on summer squashes which by itself can be bland but, paired with caramelized onions, thyme and crushed red pepper and it comes alive with flavor.
The beauty of homemade pizza is the opportunity to savor the season. There is no set rules for the toppings. The dough can be homemade or store purchased. You can use what you have on hand or what you see in season at the farmers market. The effort and time you want to invest is up to you.
You can embrace the lighter healthier side of pizza using the recipes below as your foundation.
Proscuitto and Arugula and Zucchini and Caramelized Onion Pizza
Makes 2-10 inch pizzas
Recipes from Fine Cooking
Proscuitto and arugula pizza
Ingredients:
5 oz. fresh mozzarella
1-1/2 Tbs. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1-1/2 Tbs. heavy cream
1-1/2 Tbs. buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flour for the peel
2-8 oz. balls pizza dough (homemade or store bought) at room temperature
2 cups baby arugula
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 6 oz. thinly sliced proscuitto
Directions:
Put a pizza stone on the lowest rack of the oven, heat the oven to 550 F., and let the stone heat for at least a half-hour.
Cut half of the mozzarella into a 1/2-inch dice and put in a medium bowl. Thinly slice the other half and, using the side of the chef’s knife, mash it into a paste. Add it to the diced mozzarella . Add the Parmigiano, cream, and buttermilk, and season lightly with salt.
Lightly flour a peel. Stretch one dough ball into a 10-to 11-inch round and transfer to the peel. Spread half of the cheese mixture over the dough almost to the edge and season with black pepper. Slide the dough onto the hot stone and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is nicely browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the cutting board and slice.
Drape half of the proscuitto over the pizza. Toss the arugula with just enough olive oil to dress it very lightly. Season with salt and pepper and scatter half over the proscuitto. Repeat to make the second pizza.
Zucchini and caramelized onion pizza
Ingredients:
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. thinly sliced chives
1 tsp. finely chopped thyme
1 small zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced or shaved lengthwise
1 small yellow squash, trimmed and thinly sliced or shaved lengthwise
1 cup coarsely grated mozzarella
Flour for the peel
1 8-oz. balls pizza dough (homemade or store bought) at room temperature
Sea Salt
Crushed red pepper (optional)
Directions:
Put a pizza stone on the lowest rack of the oven, heat the oven to 550 F., and let the stone heat for at least a half-hour.
In-a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 Tbs. of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and well browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil with the garlic, chives, thyme and a good pinch of salt. Add the zucchini and squash and toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine the two cheeses.
Lightly flour a pizza peel. Stretch one dough ball into a 10 to 11 inch round and transfer it to the peel. Top with half of the caramelized onion and just enough cheese to cover the onion. Top with half of the zucchini and squash, alternating colors and direction and slightly overlapping them; the squash does not have to cover the whole pizza. Sprinkle with a little more (about 1/2 cup) of the cheese.
Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is nicely browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and sprinkle with sea salt and crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Repeat to make the second pizza.
Enjoy!
ramblingtart
These both sound fantastic, Velva. Light, savory, and scrumptious. 🙂
Angie's Recipes
They look mouthwatering!
We Are Not Martha
I LOVE thin crust pizza and these look so awesome. What kind of cheese is on the zucchini pizza? It looks delicious :)Sues
That Girl
Love the sound of both of these. I would probably roast or grill the squash first to add to the sweetness.
Michelle
Wonderful, light alternatives to the heavy sauce based pizzas.
SavoringTime in the Kitchen
Both sound wonderful, Velva! I have to admit, I love a red sauce pizza 🙂
Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina
I love pizzas prepared like this! Easy peasy! Especially the prosciutto and arugala pizza!
Pam
Looks delicious, Velva! And nice and easy too.
Kim
I've been craving easy, light, thin-crust pizza such as this all season! Just a small bite of food with lots of veggies and good flavor. So pretty,Velva!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch)
I'll take a slice of the proscuitto and Arugula please. And thanks for this white sauce recipe, it sounds much better than some I've seen. I just returned from a trip to the mountains and had a white sauce pizza and I'm very anxious to re-make it at home. Seems so Summery.
Jersey Girl Cooks
These toppings are awesome! Looks great and now I am craving pizza without sauce.
Karen (Back Road Journal)
My husband and I both like white pizzas and I know we would enjoy yours.
Lori
Both of these look so great! And how fun that we both had pizza on the mind lately!
Chris
I enjoy these no tomato sauce versions, my favorite being a spinach alfredo one that we make. Loving both of these.
Dan from Platter Talk
What a delicious experiment, I love playing with pizza creations myself and yours looks like a beauty if ever I've seen one!
Tricia Buice
I see we share another passion – I just adore pizza and could eat it every day. These look wonderful! Happy July 4th!
Barbara
We are definitely on the same page. I LOVE white pizzas! I pass on the red. Always have. Two great recipes, Velva. Have a great 4th!Looks like you had a fabulous trip! So enjoyed reading about it and seeing your photos on Facebook.
Mary Lee
They look grand! I do one smilier to the first one, but put a layer of low-sugar fig preserves underneath. Be still, my heart!!!
Kitchen Belleicious
velva! it is so great to be back. I know I was gone for a few weeks but boy did i miss seeing your beautiful food. I am a white sauce lover. More so than tomato based pizza sauce. I love this and I love that it is thin and crispy!
Rhodesia
We have not had a pizza in many moons, not sure why not. Sounds delicious. Diane
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
Thin crust pizza is my favorite and yours looks delish! Love both topping options amd can't wait to try them out! Thanks for sharing the yum! ♡ Cheers
Saucy Siciliana
These pizzas look delicious!