Pesto White Pizza

A White Pizza Built on Fresh Herb Pesto and Ricotta

This isn’t a traditional Italian-American pizza. There’s no red sauce. Instead, the base is a bright, herbaceous pesto made with equal parts fresh parsley and basil, thinned with broth and olive oil for spreadability rather than the heavy oil load of a classic pesto.

The cheese layer is what makes it a true white pizza. Whisked together with a splash of milk, the ricotta and mozzarella become a smooth, lightly creamy spread instead of separate scoops, so the cheese covers the dough evenly and bakes into a unified surface rather than melted islands.

Fresh Roma tomatoes, sliced thin and arranged on top, roast slightly during the bake and lend just enough acidity to cut through the richness without turning the pizza into a tomato pie. The high oven temperature gets the crust golden in about 20 minutes.

Pro Tips

• Pat the tomato slices dry with paper towels before laying on the pizza. Wet tomatoes weep water onto the cheese and turn it watery during the bake.
• Use a pre-heated pizza stone or steel if you have one. The hot surface gives a crispier bottom that’s hard to match in a regular pan.
• Don’t overload the pesto. A thin, even layer keeps the dough from going soggy and lets the cheese shine.
• Save extra pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze in ice cube trays for portioned use.

Variations

• Add 4 ounces of cooked, sliced Italian sausage or pepperoni for a meatier white pizza.
• Stir pine nuts or chopped walnuts into the pesto for a more traditional Genovese profile.
• Top with a handful of baby arugula right after baking for peppery green contrast.