Pizza Bianca simply means “white pizza” in Italian. This recipe is one of my favorites for when I want pizza fast. Instead of the classic red sauce and mozzarella, my pizza bianca is topped with loads of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, thyme leaves, mortadella, and lemon zest. Adding the finely grated cheese while the crust is hot makes it so melty and creamy, you won’t even miss the pizza sauce. The rich mortadella and Parmigiano Reggiano get a nice lift from the lemon and thyme.

Instead of baking this crust, I pan fry it! It makes it extra crisp and bubbly. Plus, it only takes five minutes. This way, the portions are smaller, too, making it perfect for an individual pizza. It’s delicious with my homemade pizza dough, but store-bought works just fine.

Pizza Bianca

Serves: 

4 people

Cooking Level: Beginner

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Inactive Time

Total Time

30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 12 ounce dough ball
• 1/2 cup flour for the board
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano divided
• 1/2 teaspoon whole thyme leaves
• 16 thin slices of Mortadella
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest from one lemon, divided

INSTRUCTIONS:

• As seen on: Giada in Italy, Episode 8. Favorites From Italy.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Dust a board with flour and working one at a time, roll each dough ball into roughly a 6 inch round.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Heat the pan for about 3 minutes to get it hot. Add one of the dough rounds to the hot pan. When the dough begins to bubble on the top and the bottom is golden brown flip to cook the other side. It will take 2 minutes per side to cook through. Remove the crust from the pan to a plate and grate 2 tablespoons parmesan evenly over the whole surface.
• Sprinkle with a few thyme leaves and some lemon zest. Drape 4 slices of mortadella over the pizza. Continue with the remaining pizza dough.

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