White Pizza with Mushrooms and Spinach

Sunday night is pizza night at our house.  I try to do something different each time I make one.  This time, I thought I’d try a white pizza.  Traditionally, white pizzas are just dough, herbs and olive oil – no sauce.  They are similar to foccacia and very tasty.  I was in the mood for something a little richer, though, and came up with a recipe that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.  It’s got a roasted garlic and rich and creamy white sauce as a base layer, followed by sautéed spinach and mushrooms, then topped off with a sprinkling of mozzarella di bufala and some feta.  The flavors meld together seamlessly and the pizza just looks amazing right out of the oven.  This one will definitely make it into the pizza rotation around here!

White Pizza with Mushrooms and Spinach

Ingredients:
1 portion pizza dough
1 cup skim milk
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
½ lb mushrooms, sliced
1 head garlic
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 cups fresh spinach, washed and stemmed
1 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
¼ cup crumbled feta
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I prefer mozzarella di bufala)

To Make:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  
Peel outer skin from head of garlic, keeping cloves intact.  Slice off tips and set aside.  Drizzle 1 Tbs. olive oil over exposed cloves, wrap in foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until soft. Remove garlic from foil and set aside to cool (can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated in an airtight container).  Meanwhile, press pizza dough into pan.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil and pre-bake for 7 minutes or until crust just begins to brown.  Squeeze roasted garlic from cloves and mash with a fork.  Spread over crust to form a thin layer.  In a saucepan, over medium-heat, whisk together milk and flour until thickened.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread white sauce over pizza crust.  Coat a separate pan with remaining olive oil and heat on medium-high.  Sautée peeled garlic tips and mushrooms until tender.  Add spinach and continue cooking until spinach wilts.  Add vegetables to pizza.  Top with basil, mozzarella and feta and return to oven.  Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Yield:
1 12 in. round pizza (8 slices)