Recipe: Margherita Pizz’alad

From EatingWell

This Italian flag-inspired Margherita pizza recipe is topped with juicy tomatoes and slices of fresh mozzarella. What could make it better? Adding a salad on top of the pizza to make a pizz’alad! In this case, the Margherita pizza is topped with a salad of arugula, basil and parsley tossed with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. Bread flour gives the pizza crust a crisp and sturdy structure, but all-purpose flour works well in its place.

Ingredients

Makes 5 servings

Whole-Grain Pizza Dough

• ⅔ cup lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon instant or RapidRise yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1¼ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup white whole-wheat flour or all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt

Topping & Salad

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 large tomato, very thinly sliced
• 5 thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups arugula, trimmed if necessary
• 1 cup torn fresh basil
• ½ cup flat-leaf parsley
• ¼ cup shredded Pecorino Romano cheese

Preparation

Active time 50 minutes

Total time 2 hours 5 minues

1. To prepare pizza dough: Stir water, yeast and sugar in a large bowl; let stand until the yeast has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stir in bread flour (or all-purpose flour), whole-wheat flour (or all-purpose flour) and salt until the dough begins to come together.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, mix the dough in a food processor. Process until it forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead.) Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat.
3. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel; set aside in a warm, draft-free place until the dough has nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. To bake pizza and prepare topping & salad: Position rack in lower third of oven, place a pizza stone on the rack and preheat oven to 500°F. Let the stone heat at 500° for 20 minutes. Want to grill your pizza instead? See Tips below.
5. Roll pizza dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12- to 14-inch circle (depending on the size of your stone). Transfer to a lightly floured pizza peel (or inverted baking sheet).
6. Combine 1 tablespoon oil and garlic in a small bowl and brush the dough with it. Top with tomato and mozzarella slices. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone. Bake until golden and crispy, about 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, whisk the vinegar, mustard and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add arugula, basil and parsley, and toss to coat.
8. When the pizza is done, transfer to a large cutting board and let cool for 5 minutes. Mound the salad in the middle of the pizza, sprinkle with Pecorino Romano, and serve immediately.

To Make Ahead

Prepare dough through Step 2, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Or tightly wrap unrisen dough in oiled plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Let refrigerated (or previously frozen) dough stand at room temperature for 1 hour before rolling out.

Tips

To make this pizza on the grill instead, preheat grill to medium-high. Slide the rolled-out pizza dough onto the grill rack; close the lid. Cook until lightly puffed and browned on the bottom, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, charred-side up. Spread on toppings from Step 6. Return to grill, close lid and cook until browned on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes.

White whole-wheat flour is made from hard white wheat berries, which makes it lighter in color and flavor than regular whole-wheat flour, but with the same nutritional properties. For the best flavor, store it airtight in the freezer.

© Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. Used with permission.