Ricotta, Spinach, Tomato, & Mushroom Pizza

Ricotta, Spinach, & Mushroom Pizza (6 servings, total time approx. 45 minutes)

(adapted from Kraft Recipes and AllRecipes)

Yummy deliciousness!  Thick pizza crust (just the way I like it) and tasty toppings.  Cannot wait to make it again and again (while trying different toppings, too).

Ingredients

• Crust:

• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• Toppings:

o       1-1/2 cups shredded Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

o       ¾ cup Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

o       ¼ cup grated Parmesan Cheese

o       1 tsp. dried basil leaves, crushed

o       ½ tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed

o       ¼ tsp. garlic salt

o       ¼ tsp. ground black pepper

o       1 cup fresh spinach leaves, torn and patted dry

o       ½ cup fresh mushrooms, chopped and patted dry

o       1-2 roma tomatoes, sliced and patted dry

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Stir water, sugar and yeast together until dissolved. Add the olive oil and the salt. Stir in the flour until well blended. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
3. Pat dough onto a pizza stone.
4. Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and seasonings; spread evenly onto pizza crust.
5. Top with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and edge of crust are slightly browned.

The center of my crust took a little long to bake, so I added “patted dry” to the vegetable ingredients. I also added some vegetarian pepperoni to the top of my pizza because I had some leftover.  If you’re looking to increase protein, you can add the pepperoni, burger crumbles, or crumbled sausage-less sausage (either Trader Joe’s or Morningstar Farms would be my preference).

I like that this is a cheesy pizza, but it also very filling.  The thick crust (which is very thick even though I rolled it out to almost the edge of the pizza stone) and vegetables on top help the filling of fullness – I only needed one slice!  The ricotta/mozzarella mixture is quite tasty and works well with the veggies that I used.  A healthy pizza which is also tasty = a winner in my book!