This spinach artichoke pizza is everything you love about the dip: creamy, cheesy, and baked on a crispy crust! It’s easy to make and seriously satisfying.
What’s not to love about the iconic spinach artichoke dip? That creamy, gooey cheese and tang from the artichokes make it some kind of addictive substance. I love riffing on this flavor combination: back in 2010, I created this spinach artichoke grilled cheese that become a viral hit.
Many years later, I’m back with this tasty topping on a pizza! This spinach artichoke pizza is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Gooey, savory, and tangy, it tastes like that popular dip: on top of pizza crust. What could be better?
5 Star Reader Reviews
“I made this tonight, and it is absolutely fire. My Italian wife, who is VERY exacting about food, and has an incredible palate, simply loved it. So, as Borat would say: ‘Great success!’” – David P.
“Made this for dinner last night and served with a salad. So easy and delicious! I added sliced mushrooms to the saute mix and used Parmesan instead of Pecorino. Thanks for sharing this easy, delicious, and healthier version of pizza.” –Suzy
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are my notes on the ingredients for this recipe:
- Pizza dough: I use my homemade pizza dough recipe for the best results, but store-bought pizza dough works great on a weeknight. My thin crust pizza dough is also delicious, and my sheet pan pizza is the easiest method: it makes 3 pizzas at once.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is key to the flavor here.
- Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for sautéing the garlic and brushing the crust.
- Baby spinach: I like using fresh spinach here, but you could also use frozen with good results (like I do on my spinach pizza).
- Artichoke hearts: Use canned artichoke hearts in water (or oil), drained and roughly chopped. Marinated versions overpower the flavor so I would avoid those for this one.
- Mozzarella cheese: I find shredded whole-milk mozzarella melts the best.
- Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese: I prefer Pecorino Romano: it’s a hard Italian cheese similar to Parmesan but with a sharper, more savory punch. A little goes a long way, and it takes the whole pizza over the top.
How to Make Spinach Artichoke Pizza
This pizza comes together simply, and if you’ve made any of my pizza recipes, you’ll know the drill! Or scroll down to the recipe below.
Step 1: Make (or prep) the pizza dough
Follow my best pizza dough recipe: it takes 15 minutes to mix and 45 minutes to rest. If you’re using store-bought pizza dough, make sure to bring it come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before stretching.
Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. Give it at least 30 minutes to fully heat up (the secret to a crispy crust!).
Step 2: Sauté the spinach and artichokes
Sauté the garlic in olive oil for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until it’s fully wilted. Add the chopped artichoke hearts and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
Tip: If you’re using frozen spinach, you can add the spinach with the artichoke hearts and skip the spinach saute time.
Step 3: Stretch and top the dough
Dust a pizza peel with semolina flour or cornmeal. (No peel? Use the back of a rimless baking sheet.) Stretch the dough into a circle: see my guide to how to stretch pizza dough. Gently transfer to the peel.
Brush the entire surface with a thin layer of olive oil. Spread the shredded mozzarella cheese, spinach-artichoke mixture, Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, and a few pinches kosher salt.
Step 4: Bake
Slide the pizza off the peel and onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in a standard oven (or about 1 minute in a pizza oven) until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is browned. Slice and serve immediately.
Easy Variations to Try
I love this spinach artichoke pizza as is, but there are some fun ways to mix it up that taste just as good:
- Make it a white pizza: Add a thin layer of ricotta cheese or even cream cheese (room temperature so it’s easy to spread) under the mozzarella. My ricotta pizza uses a similar idea!
- Add chicken: Thinly sliced or shredded rotisserie chicken is a great addition, or even air fryer chicken breast cut into chunks.
- Try pita bread or naan: For a quick weeknight shortcut, try the toppings on naan pizza or pita pizza.
- Make it vegan: Swap the cheeses for your favorite dairy-free mozzarella and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
- Garlic oil base: Mix olive oil with garlic powder and a pinch of dried oregano for an extra-flavorful crust.
What to Serve With It
Here are a few ways I like to accessorize this tasty pizza topping:
- A green salad: Something bright and fresh works well, like my simple arugula salad, chopped salad, or strawberry salad.
- Fresh veggies: Keep it simple with ranch dip and fresh veggies, or even a bell pepper salad or cucumber salad.
- Wine: A crisp Italian white (like Pinot Grigio) or a light red like Chianti is a natural pairing.
For more ideas, see my 25 top sides for pizza.
Storing & Reheating
Store pizza slices in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 3 days. To reheat, the best way is an air fryer if you have one! Otherwise you can reheat on a baking sheet at 375°F, or for a few minutes in a cast iron skillet on medium heat with a lid.
You can make the pizza dough up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate, or freeze the pizza dough (make sure to bring to room temperature before using).
Dietary Notes
This artichoke pizza recipe is vegetarian.
Spinach Artichoke Pizza
Pin RecipeThis spinach artichoke pizza is everything you love about the dip: creamy, cheesy, and baked on a crispy crust! It’s easy to make and seriously satisfying.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 7 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 ball Best Pizza Dough (or Food Processor Dough or Thin Crust Dough)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 3 cups spinach
- ½ cup chopped artichokes
- ¾ cup mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- 1 pinch salt
- Semolina flour or cornmeal, for dusting the pizza peel
Instructions
- Make the pizza dough: Follow the Best Pizza Dough recipe to prepare the dough. (This takes about 15 minutes to make and 45 minutes to rest.)
- Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. OR preheat your pizza oven (here’s the pizza oven we use).
- Prepare the toppings: Mince the garlic. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil, then add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Add the chopped artichokes for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- Bake the pizza: When the oven is ready, dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use a rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet. But a pizza peel is well worth the investment!) Stretch the dough into a circle; see How to Stretch Pizza Dough for instructions. Then gently place the dough onto the pizza peel.
- Brush the dough with a thin layer of olive oil. Then spread on the mozzarella cheese in an even layer, and place the spinach artichoke mixture on top. Top with the Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese and a few pinches of kosher salt.
- Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake the pizza until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes in the oven (or 1 minute in a pizza oven). Slice into pieces and serve immediately.
More Pizza Recipes to Try
from A Couple Cooks https://ift.tt/UrNcEnK
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