Tomato, Basil, and Ricotta Pizza
Using a few simple ingredients for this tomato, basil, and ricotta pizza give it tremendous flavor. Perfect fall comfort food or great use of those fresh summer tomatoes!
The ricotta gives this pizza a nice bit of creaminess. And paired with fresh cut herbs and garlic really gives this homemade pizza some great flavor.
This post has been updated from its original publish date of December 9, 2019. It has been updated to provide better photos, additional helpful information and step by step instructions.
Ricotta Pizza
Bring a little taste of Italy to your home with this homemade pizza recipe. It isn’t overly complicated either.
However, it does take a little bit of planning to allow for the amount of time for your homemade pizza dough to rise.
Ingredients
Add in a few more toppings are all you’ll need to make this pizza full of delicious Italian flavors.
One of the best parts about this pizza is the ricotta cheese. It is incredibly creamy and mild, and almost sweet. And because of the moisture of the ricotta cheese, you don’t need to add a sauce.
Instead, I use some diced tomatoes that I crush up a little with a fork. My Italian grandmother would just crush them with her hands. You can always try that, too!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- homemade pizza dough – I highly recommend making the dough from scratch. Here’s the recipe for authentic pizza dough that my Italian grandmother taught me.
- garlic cloves
- fresh basil leaves
- fresh mint leaves
- ricotta cheese
- diced tomatoes
- shredded mozzarella
- shredded pecorino cheese – can substitute with parmesan cheese if desired
Instructions
You can make this pizza with whichever dough you prefer. But I’m all for making it completely from scratch. You really can’t beat those homemade flavors!
Try this authentic Italian Pizza Dough Recipe. This is the dough recipe that I use for all of my homemade pizzas. It makes either two of the pizzas in this recipe or one really large one.
After the dough of your pizza is ready to go, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
Begin by rolling out the dough and add it to a pizza pan or baking sheet. Next, you will create little wells on the top of the dough and give it a little brush of olive oil to the top.
My grandmother always put the tomatoes on top vs just smothering the dough with pizza sauce from a jar. Something very different than we are used to in most places here in America.
For this ricotta pizza, start with adding the chopped garlic, basil, and mint. Reserve a little bit of the basil for a garnish on the cooked pizza, if desired.
Shred up some of the mozzarella cheese and distribute it evenly on top of the garlic and herbs.
Next, take a spoon and dollop spoonfuls of ricotta to the pizza in various places. Then you will slightly spread the dollops of ricotta a little bit with your spoon.
After you’ve done this, you can begin crushing up your diced tomatoes slightly. You can either crush them in your hand or with a fork.
It really all depends on how messy you want things to get. They say that the best cooks are the messiest. So, there’s that.
Bake pizza in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the pizza and check periodically after 13 minutes. If the pizza crust looks nice and golden brown, it should be ready to come out.
Allow the pizza to cool slightly before slicing. Add the shredded pecorino cheese to the top of the finished pizza. And a little bit of fresh basil leaves as a garnish, if desired.
Or sprinkle of crushed red pepper on top!
Storing & reheating leftover pizza
If you have leftover pizza, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days for best results. Reheat in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes until warmed through.
More favorite comfort food recipes:
These are some of our best and favorite comforting Italian recipes that you’ll love too!
FAQ (frequently asked questions)
Yes! It gives a deliciously creamy texture to the pizza and when combined with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, it helps to hold all the ingredients together.
In this recipe, the ricotta goes on the pizza before baking it. It blends well with the ingredients.
want more recipes?
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Tomato, Basil, Ricotta Pizza
Equipment
Ingredients
- homemade pizza dough
- 2 large garlic cloves diced
- 10 large fresh basil leaves chopped
- 6 small fresh mint leaves chopped
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ⅔ cup diced tomatoes crushed with a fork
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons shredded pecorino cheese
Instructions
- After the dough of your pizza is ready to go, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
- Begin by rolling out the dough. Next, you will create little wells on the top of the dough and give it a little brush of olive oil to the top.
- For this ricotta pizza, I start with adding the chopped garlic, basil, and mint. Reserve a little bit of the basil for a garnish if desired.
- Shred up 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and add it on top of the garlic and herbs. Next, take a spoon and drop spoonfuls of ricotta to the pizza. Then you will slightly spread the ricotta a little bit. After you’ve done this, you can begin crushing up your diced tomatoes slightly.
- Bake pizza in a preheated 475 degree F oven for about 15 minutes. Allow the pizza to cool slightly before slicing.
- Add shredded pecorino or parmesan to the top of the pizza before serving. And add a little bit of chopped basil for a garinsh if desired. Enjoy!
