Today is , and that means you might be able to score a deal at your favorite pizza place. But if you’re in the mood to make your own slice instead, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of our favorite recipes from contributors.
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Skillet cheese pizza
Sally Pasley Vargas gave us this recipe in the early days of the pandemic, but we’re still fans nearly four years later. The recipe was created for people who started making their own bread back then (Remember that trend? Anyone still at it?), but prepared dough works, too. She writes: “If you buy prepared dough for this pizza, use 3/4 pound. Any 10-inch ovenproof skillet will do here, but cast iron has the best heat retention. Without either of those options, you could also use a cake pan. Allow time for the dough to rise again once it’s in the skillet. Pepperoni or ham would be a welcome topping for some pizza lovers; vegetarians can add sliced zucchini, asparagus, or another vegetable. As for this version with tomato sauce and mozzarella, baked until golden and crisp ― I’ll take it.”
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Cheese pizza with asparagus and prosciutto
Here’s another from Pasley Vargas. This one might invite some spring vibes into your home this February: “Add Taleggio, mozzarella, and ricotta to store-bought pizza dough and transform that dough into a delectable dinner. Crown the top with short lengths of asparagus and a salad of arugula and Italian parsley leaves, with a few slices of prosciutto as the ultimate garnish. Most pizzas invite improvisation, so swap out the cheeses to suit your personal preferences. Just be sure to bring the dough you buy to room temperature if it’s been in the fridge, since gluten tightens when it’s cold; 30 minutes should suffice. If you have a pizza stone, heat it in the oven and slide the dough onto the stone to bake,” she writes.
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Pizza Margherita
If you’re looking for a simpler slice, check out this recipe from Lisa Zwirn. She writes: “A basic Neapolitan-style pizza Margherita combines tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil, the colors of the Italian flag. Make your own dough or simplify things with commercial dough from the supermarket or from your neighborhood pizzeria (most will sell you their dough). Then perk up a can of crushed tomatoes to use as the sauce. The shape here is a large rectangle that fills a rimless baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Bake it on the lowest rack of the oven so the underside browns and turns crusty. You don’t need to transfer it onto a pizza stone; bake the pizza right in the pan. If you have a stone, heat it in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes and set the baking sheet on the stone. Make two of these for a hungry crowd.”
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Mushroom flatbread pizzas with fontina
Here’s another from Pasley Vargas: “If you have your local pizza parlor on speed dial, put down the phone! Save yourself a trip and make this easy flatbread with pre-baked crusts. It’s a semi-homemade hack that will make any harried cook up against the six o’clock scramble happy. Top the flatbreads (find them in the bread aisle) with sauteed cremini mushrooms, softened red onions, and creamy Italian fontina cheese. To cook the mushrooms, use a large skillet and give them space. Let them cook undisturbed so they turn a deep golden brown. Don’t add salt to the pan until after they’re cooked because it draws out extra moisture, which you’re trying to avoid so the mushrooms brown nicely. Precooked flatbreads are extra thin. The crust is crispy and cracker-like rather than thick or chewy. Pop it directly on an oven shelf with a foil-lined pan on the shelf below to act as a safety net and catch any spills. When pizza night comes around and the idea of store-bought dough seems like a bridge too far, these will get dinner on the table in a jiffy.”
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Pizza with pistachio pesto and mozzarella
If you’re looking for something a little different, check out this pistachio pesto pizza from Zwirn. She writes: “Pistachio nuts, parsley, and cilantro or basil go into a pesto that brings a rich savory flavor to homemade pizza. Make your favorite pizza dough recipe or buy it ready-made from a neighborhood pizza spot or supermarket. When you’re adding olive oil to the nuts and greens in the blender for the pesto, take care not to add too much oil. Extra oil is fine for pesto that will be tossed with pasta, but on pizza, it will spread over the top of the crust and make it too oily. After a layer of pesto goes onto the stretched-out dough, add fresh mozzarella and a little Parmesan, then send the pie into a very hot oven.”
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Got a favorite pizza recipe? Hacks for a great homemade pizza? Share them in the comments. We’re wishing all who celebrate a very happy and satisfying National Pizza Day.
Chris Morris can be reached at . Follow her .