Even the pickiest eaters will fall for this extra cheesy Spinach Pizza. It’s a sneaky way of eating your vegetables while indulging in Italian-flavored bites of ricotta, mozzarella, garlic, and sautéed spinach.
Pizza can be one of the best ways to sneak veggies into your diet while indulging in those melted cheesy pulls. But if you have picky eaters or vegetable skeptics to please, you might not get very far. That’s where this Spinach Pizza comes in! It hides the veggies really well under layers of melted cheese.
It’s made with minimal ingredients and not one, but TWO kinds of cheese. Sauteed spinach and garlic are layered underneath the melted cheese, allowing you or your kids to enjoy the savory Italian flavors while getting a boost of calcium and iron.
This easy vegetarian pizza has almost everything you’d find on a real Florentine pizza, like spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, and garlic. It’s also really simple to put together thanks to the store-bought pizza dough and lack of red pizza sauce (olive oil is all you need).
Recipe features
- This quick and easy pizza is perfect for a meatless Monday meal. It comes together in less than 30 minutes.
- It features two layers of rich, creamy cheese and irresistible Italian flavor from garlic, oregano, and red pepper.
- It’s the very best way to eat your leafy greens!
Ingredient notes:
Pizza dough - You can use any ready-made dough or your favorite homemade recipe. I’ve always had great results using the ready-to-bake pizza dough from Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
Olive oil - You won’t find a traditional pizza sauce on this cheesy spinach pizza. All you need is a thin layer of olive oil on the crust. If you don’t have olive oil, use vegetable oil or avocado oil instead.
Spinach - The spinach is sauteed before being layered onto the pizza in order to remove all of the moisture and bring out its deep flavor. For this reason, fresh spinach is best. If all you have is frozen spinach, let it thaw completely and dry it really well by blotting it with a clean kitchen towel.
Ricotta cheese - There’s a little bit of Italy in every bite of this Florentine-inspired pizza and it’s mostly thanks to the ricotta. This soft, creamy, and sweet cheese is mixed with the sauteed spinach before being layered onto the dough.
Mozzarella cheese - Shredded.
Aromatics - Fresh garlic, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes give this easy vegetarian pizza a wide dimension of Italian-inspired flavors.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Prep the dough. Start by rolling out the pizza dough and laying it over a prepared baking sheet or pizza stone.
Step 2: Make the spinach and ricotta mixture. Heat some oil in a large skillet before adding the spinach and garlic. Saute until the spinach is wilted. Immediately transfer the spinach and garlic mixture to a large bowl with the ricotta cheese and stir to combine.
Step 3: Assemble the pizza. Drizzle olive oil over the pizza dough, then sprinkle oregano and red pepper flakes over top. Next, add the spinach-ricotta mixture and layer on the mozzarella.
Step 4: Bake. Bake the pizza in the oven until the cheese is melted. Season to taste with additional red pepper flakes, then slice and serve.
Tips and FAQs
- Using a pizza stone is optional but it will give you a consistent and evenly baked pizza with a crispy crust.
- Craving a white spinach pizza? Substitute the layer of olive oil on the crust for a garlicky homemade alfredo sauce.
- If you’d like to save a little time, sauté the garlic and spinach mixture one day ahead of time. Keep it in the fridge overnight in a covered bowl.
- Feel free to double or triple the recipe and keep one or two assembled, unbaked pizzas in the freezer for later.
Do you have to saute the spinach?
You should. Sauteed spinach is not only easier to stir in with the ricotta, but it also removes the moisture from the leaves ahead of time.
If you prefer the flavor and texture of fresh spinach, you can add some leaves to the pizza during the last 2 to 3 minutes of baking. That should be enough time for the spinach to sink into the cheese but not enough time for the leaves to release their moisture (which could leave you with soggy pizza).
What other toppings can you use?
Mix up the vegetarian toppings as much as you like. Any of these additions would pair very well:
- Artichoke hearts
- Arugula
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Basil
- Kale pesto
- Roasted red peppers
- Tomato slices
Can it be made vegan?
Yes! Omit the ricotta cheese and replace the mozzarella with dollops of homemade vegan mozzarella.
What meat toppings can I add?
If you don’t need this pizza to be vegetarian, you can layer on chopped or shredded chicken, chicken sausage slices, bacon, and prosciutto. You can also transform this into a fantastic seafood white pizza by adding shrimp or crab meat.
Storage
Storing: Keep any leftover pizza slices in a sealed container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Reheating: To maintain its crispy crust, I recommend reheating the pizza slices in a 350ºF oven or an air fryer until the cheese is melted again.
More vegetarian pizza recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Spinach Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 ball pizza dough
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 5 oz. spinach
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. You can use a pizza stone instead if you have one.
- Roll the pizza dough out into a circle or rectangle, then carefully transfer it to your lined baking sheet/pizza stone.
- Next, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet, then add the spinach and garlic and sauté until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes; transfer to a large bowl.
- To that same bowl, add the ricotta and stir to combine.
- Drizzle the remaining oil over the pizza dough, then sprinkle the oregano and red pepper flakes on top. Spread the ricotta mixture over the pizza dough, then add the shredded mozzarella.
- Bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Add more red pepper flakes to taste. Slice and enjoy!
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