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Pools of creamy parmesan spinach dip + lovely browned artichoke hearts

This Spinach Artichoke Pizza starts with a simple base of olive oil and mozzarella cheese, then gets dressed with generous dollops of creamy parmesan spinach dip and chopped artichoke hearts. I prefer assembling this pizza this way rather than spreading the dip as a base because it allows the mozzarella to brown and blister nicely around the pools of creamy parmesan spinach dip rather than getting lost underneath. The artichoke hearts also get lovely browned edges that give this pizza a wonderful texture.

A super simple parmesan spinach dip

The creamy parmesan spinach dip that gets dolloped on top of this Spinach Artichoke Pizza is incredibly simple to make. I prefer to use frozen spinach, not only because I usually have some tucked away in my freezer, but because it breaks down super quickly compared to fresh spinach so there's no need to chop or blend this saucy dip like you would if you used fresh spinach. The cream cheese gives the dip a super thick and creamy base that helps the dip from sliding around on the pizza, and parmesan adds the perfect salty, cheesy bite that makes it hard not to dip into for a spoonful before it ever hits the pizza dough.

Here's how to make it: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic-infused olive oil (or the olive oil + minced garlic), frozen spinach, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, mustard powder, and nutmeg. Stir often until spinach has broken down, the cheeses have both melted, and the mixture is warm and well-combined. Remove from heat and reserve to the side.

WHAT ABOUT THE PIZZA CRUST?

I prefer to use this Easy Same-Day Pizza Dough recipe to make this Spinach Artichoke Pizza, but if you have a preferred pizza crust recipe of your own or want to grab some pre-made dough from the store, feel free to use those as well.

WHAT TEMPERATURE IS BEST TO BAKE PIZZA AT?

Your aim is a perfectly golden crust and nicely caramelized toppings, so the hotter the better. Many professional pizzerias keep their ovens heated to 800 degrees F or higher, but most home ovens only reach temperatures between 500-550 degrees F so this recipe is created with those constraints in mind. I bake my pizzas at 500 degrees F / 260 degrees C and get wonderful results. If your oven tops out at 450 degrees F / 232 degrees C, I have tested that temp many times over as well and it works well, though you’ll want to plan on a few extra minutes in the oven, especially if your pie is piled high with toppings.

REHEATING PIZZA LEFTOVERS

It would be cliche if I made a joke about leftovers and pizza right now, so we’ll just skip that and assume you didn’t eat the entire pie for a moment. My two favorite methods for reheating pizza so it retains its crisp crust while remelting the cheese is in the oven or in a cast-iron pan on top of the stove.

Oven method: Bake on a sheet pan at 350 F / 175 C for 10 minutes or until pizza has reached your desired level of warmth and crispness.

Stovetop method: Set pizza in a cast-iron pan over medium-low heat. Allow to cook until the crust has reached your desired level of crispness. If the cheese isn’t melted enough for your taste you can add a few drops of water to the pan (away from the pizza) and cover the pan for a minute or two to allow the steam to melt the cheese further.

WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?

A baking sheet
Parchment paper
A kitchen scale or measuring cups (for less precise measurements)
Measuring spoons
A medium saucepan
A wooden spoon
A cutting board
A chef’s knife
A rolling pin (only if you prefer an evenly thick pie) otherwise your hands are your best tool
A spoon (just a regular flatware spoon will work)
A pizza wheel

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Spinach Artichoke Pizza

Author: Whip & Wander
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Total Time: 31 minutes
Yield: 1 large pizza 1x
Category: Pizza, Mains
Method: Oven / Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian

Print Recipe

Description

This Spinach Artichoke Pizza starts with a simple base of olive oil and mozzarella cheese, then gets dressed with generous dollops of creamy parmesan spinach dip and chopped artichoke hearts.

Ingredients

Scale

For the parmesan spinach dip:

2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil - OR - 2 tablespoon olive oil + 2 minced garlic cloves
8 oz (about 2 ½ cups) frozen spinach
4 oz (112 g) cream cheese
40 g (about ½ cup) shredded parmesan cheese
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp mustard powder
A pinch of ground nutmeg

For the rest of the pizza

½ recipe Easy Same-Day Pizza Dough
1 tbsp olive oil
4 oz (about 1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
6 oz (about 176 g) artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

Instructions

Prep:

Preheat your oven temperature to 500 degrees F / 260 degrees C and set a baker’s half sheet to the side.

For the parmesan spinach dip:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic-infused olive oil (or the olive oil + minced garlic), frozen spinach, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, mustard powder, and nutmeg. Stir often until spinach has broken down, the cheeses have both melted, and the mixture is warm and well-combined. Remove from heat and reserve to the side.

For the rest of the pizza:

Shape your dough. If you prefer a classic pie-shape with a thicker crust compared to the center of your dough, I suggest hand-stretching your dough. If you prefer your pizza to be an even thickness, I suggest rolling your dough out with a rolling pin.
- If you are hand-stretching your dough:
  1. I like to rub a small amount of olive oil into my hands first; this allows me to shape the dough easier without it ripping accidentally from friction.
  2. Press the dough down with the palm of your hand into a disk shape, then use your fingertips to gently press down on the dough disk, further flattening it.
  3. To further extend the dough, I prefer to press one palm on top of one side of the dough and with the other hand lift the alternative side of the dough and gently work the dough outward, pulling very gently with the tips of my oiled fingers (like a very discrete “come hither” motion) to slowly stretch the dough out. Rotate slightly and repeat until the dough is shaped and stretched to your liking. If you find that the dough starts to snap back or is beginning to tear, allow the dough to relax for a minute or two before proceeding again. Transfer your stretched dough to a sheet of parchment paper.
- If you are using a rolling pin:
  1. I prefer to place my dough between two sheets of parchment paper to avoid the dough sticking to my rolling pin, but if you prefer you can also sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough ball as well as wiping some over your rolling pin by hand to prevent sticking instead. Once the dough has been rolled to your preferred size and shape, peel the top layer of parchment paper off (if using). The bottom layer that the dough is resting on can be utilized for your baking sheet. If you find that the dough starts to snap back or is beginning to tear, allow the dough to relax for a minute or two before proceeding again.
Transfer your shaped dough to the reserved baking sheet.
Brush olive oil onto the pizza dough lightly and evenly. This can be done with a pastry brush or the back of a spoon. Then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top of the dough.
Top the pizza with large dollops of the parmesan spinach dip, spacing them out evenly, then top the pizza with the chopped artichoke hearts, spacing them out evenly.
Bake for 16-22 minutes or until the crust has reached your preferred level of crispness and the mozzarella cheese is beginning to brown and blister. I find that pizzas that have a thinner topping layer take less time to bake and heavier-topped pizzas generally take a bit longer to bake so watch your pizza closely after the 16-minute mark and adjust as desired. Slice into pieces and serve warm.

Notes

Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

Nutrition

Serving Size: ¼th of the pizza
Calories: 528
Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 840 mg
Fat: 22 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 56 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 24 g
Cholesterol: 30 mg

Keywords: pizza, spinach, artichoke