Why is pizza so delicious? I realize this is a question I find myself asking about most of the foods I love, and yet I still haven’t found an answer. It just is!

Pizza can be made in so many different ways; it’s actually crazy to think about. There are so many options for toppings, sauces, cheeses and doughs! The combinations seem infinite.

For this recipe, there is actually no true sauce base, rather there is an oil base. I didn’t think I would like this the first time I tried it, but it actually gives a lot of flavor and you don’t even realize there is no sauce.

Ingredients

• Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
• 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 c basil
• 1/2 c parmesan*
• 1 c mozzarella*
• 3/4 c ricotta*

*Note: You may end up using more or less of these cheeses. Just make sure you have more on hand than the recipe requires in case you like extra cheese on your pizza.

Directions

1. If you are using my Whole Wheat Pizza Dough, remove the dough from the refrigerator and separate it in two.
2. One at a time, roll each dough into a tight ball and place them about 3 inches apart on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
3. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
5. In a small sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat until simmering.
6. Add in garlic, pepper, oregano, cayenne and salt. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
7. Transfer oil mixture to a heat safe bowl and allow to cool.
8. Stretch the dough into two medium sized pizzas.
9. Place dough on lightly oiled pizza pans.
10. Using a large spoon, scoop and spread the oil mixture on the dough.
    • You could spread this mixture lightly on the crust as well if you’d like.
11. Sprinkle both of the pizzas with parmesan and then mozzarella.
12. Place tiny drops of ricotta, evenly spread around the pizza.
13. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust is cooked throughout.
14. Broil on low for 2 minutes to make the cheese crispy.

Once you take the first bite, its hard to stop! I’m amazed with how much of this pizza I consume in one sitting.

Test Kitchen: Opinions and Changes

This recipe is modified from a recipe in The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen. I essentially modified the amounts for everything used in making the oil base; I found that I would always end up running out. I didn’t perfectly double the amount of every ingredient though.

This pizza is absolutely delicious and a perfect weekend treat after a long week of work.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe. How do you feel about a pizza without a sauce base? Let us know in the comment below!

Happy Baking!