Ingredients
1 lb. pizza dough, divided in half
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Coarse cornmeal, for sprinkling
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. ricotta
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. freshly chopped oregano
1 tsp. freshly chopped thyme
2 c. shredded mozzarella, divided
1/4 c. pecorino Romano, divided
Crushed red pepper flakes, for garnish
Preparation
Step 1Preheat oven to 500°. Brush two large baking sheets with vegetable oil and sprinkle each with a layer of cornmeal. Step 2In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic and stir until lightly golden, then immediately remove from heat. Strain garlic and season with a pinch of salt. Reserve oil, and set both aside. Step 3In a small bowl, mix together ricotta, salt, pepper, and half the herbs. Step 4On a lightly floured surface, shape each half of pizza dough into a round ball, then press down the center of each to create a 1/2" crust. With the dough resting on the back of your hands and your knuckles, gently stretch dough out with the help of gravity by moving your hands inch by inch along the crust. Transfer to prepared baking sheets. Step 5Brush each pizza dough all over with reserved garlic oil. Sprinkle each pie with 1 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons pecorino, then dollop 3/4 cup of ricotta mixture on each pizza. Step 6Bake pizzas until crust is golden and cheese is melty, 15 to 17 minutes. Step 7Garnish with remaining herbs, reserved garlic chips, and red pepper flakes before slicing and serving.
If you want to go totally homemade with this recipe, be sure to use our simple and delicious pizza dough recipe. Use fresh herbs! Fresh is not always better, but in this case, fresh oregano and thyme really brighten up the richness of the cheeses. Black pepper contrasts against the milkiness of the ricotta, effectively giving your pie a cacio e pepe vibe. Forget about stale garlic powder. The lightly fried garlic chips you’ll be making are crunchy explosions of flavor and 1000x better. And brushing the dough the with the garlic oil you get from making them Worried that 500° is too high a temperature? Don’t worry, it won’t burn. Cooking the pizza at your oven’s highest temperature allows the cheeses to melt and the crust to crisp without drying out the entire pie. If you tried this recipe let us know how it came out in the comments below!
