White Pizza with Broccoli

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the pizza stone on the center rack of the oven while the oven preheats. If you don't have a pizza stone, you can still preheat the pan or baking sheet you are using to cook the pizza.

Step 2

Meanwhile, steam the broccoli by placing the florets in a large skillet. Cover them with water, bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. (Be careful not to make the broccoli mushy.) You can also steam the broccoli in a vegetable steamer basket if you have one or use roasted broccoli instead. Drain the broccoli, transfer to a mixing bowl, and toss in about 1 tbsp olive oil and the red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Prepare the pizza dough by pulling/rolling it into a ~12-inch flat circle on a floured surface. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.

Step 4

When you are ready to make the pizza, remove the pizza stone from the oven. Spray with nonstick cooking spray if needed (some pizza stones are inherently nonstick). Carefully slide the pizza dough onto the stone. You should hear it sizzle slightly; this is a good sign and means that you will have crispy crust! Brush the dough with a little bit of olive oil, then sprinkle with about half of the mozzarella cheese (~3/4 cup).

Step 5

Place the steamed broccoli florets on top of the pizza, followed by dollops of the ricotta cheese and garlic mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese and lemon zest on the pizza. I like to finish the process by adding some more freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil on top.

Step 6

Place the pizza stone on the center rack of the oven, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese bubbles and the crust is slightly browned. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes, and cut into slices. Enjoy!