Spinach Artichoke Bagna Cauda Pizza

Spinach artichoke bagna cauda pizza is a unique pizza that combines the classic spinach and artichoke dip with a traditional Italian dip. It's a great marriage of two traditional dishes!

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Recipe

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Spinach Artichoke Bagna Cauda Pizza

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: pizza, vegetarian

Servings: 1 12-inch pizza

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Bagna cauda

• ½ cup olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 anchovy filets
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon salt

Remaining ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 5 ounces fresh spinach
• salt and pepper
• 1 pound pizza dough
• 4 ounces fresh sliced mozzarella
• 8 ounces canned artichokes drained
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan plus extra for sprinkling
• ¼ cup fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 550 degrees F. Heat pizza stone for 1 hour if using.
• Make bagna cauda. Combine parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and salt in a heat safe bowl. Blend together olive oil with garlic and anchovies until smooth. Pour mixture into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes or until lightly golden brown and aromatic. Remove from heat and pour hot oil over parsley mixture. Stir to combine and let sit.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add spinach and saute until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Let cool slightly.
• Gently stretch out pizza dough into a 12-inch circle. Spread 3 tablespoons bagna cauda on top. Tear mozzarella into bite-size pieces and scatter on top followed by spinach and artichokes. Sprinkle parmesan evenly on top. Transfer pizza to pizza stone and bake for 7-8 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese is melted.
• Remove pizza from oven and drizzle extra bagna cauda on top. Sprinkle extra parmesan if desired and top with fresh basil and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can make bagna cauda sauce up to 3 days in advance.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make the sauce

To make the bagna cauda sauce, blend the olive oil with garlic and anchovies until smooth in a blender. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle until the ingredients are well combined.

I know that when most people read "anchovy" in a recipe, they're immediately turned off. Anchovies have a reputation for having a strong fishy taste, but here's the kicker: when you cook them, they transform completely. That's why so many chefs swear by adding anchovies to dishes, because it's an umami bomb!

The same applies to this Italian dip. The anchovies are what give the dip depth and savoriness.

Some versions of bagna cauda highlight the anchovies more than others, seeking that intensely salty, fishy flavor. However, I chose to blend it in with the other ingredients, letting it meld together with the garlic and herbs so that it doesn't overpower the other pizza toppings.

Heat the anchovy mixture over medium heat until it turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour the hot oil over the chopped parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and salt.

Feel free to make the sauce up to 3 days in advance.

Step 2: Prepare the toppings

Now, it's time to make the toppings. Saute spinach until wilted, seasoning the greens with salt and pepper. Grate parmesan, tear mozzarella, and drain canned artichokes.

Make sure to also turn on your oven well in advance to at least 500 degrees F. If your oven goes up to 550 degrees F, even better. It's also important to heat your pizza stone, if using it, for at least one hour.

If you don't own a pizza stone, you can flip over a baking sheet and preheat it for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Assemble

When you're ready to assemble the spinach and artichoke bagna cauda pizza, gently stretch out your pizza dough into a 12-inch circle.

This recipe makes enough bagna cauda for 2 12-inch pizzas; if you choose to make more than one pizza, double the amount for the pizza dough and toppings.

Spread that delicious savory Italian sauce on the pizza and top it with the remaining ingredients.

While it may be tempting to add lots of toppings to your pizza, it's essential to keep the toppings balanced. Overloading your pizza can cause it to be soggy and make it difficult to cook evenly.

Step 4: Bake

Sprinkle grated parmesan evenly on top and bake the pizza until golden brown and the cheese is melted. If you want the cheese to get more charred, turn on the broiler for the last minute or two.

Remove the pizza from the oven and drizzle extra bagna cauda on top. Sprinkle more parmesan if desired, and finish with fresh basil and freshly cracked black pepper.

This spinach artichoke bagna cauda pizza not only sounds sophisticated, but it also tastes fancy! The pairing of the Italian dip with creamy spinach artichoke works so well, delivering a pizza that you can't find anywhere. It's darn delicious, if I do say so myself!

For more recipes featuring spinach artichoke, check out these spinach artichoke pinwheels!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: You can make the bagna cauda sauce up to 3 days in advance. If you're making pizza dough from scratch, you can also prepare it the day before and store it in the fridge.
• Store: You can store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the pizza in the oven or toaster oven and heat until the cheese is melted and the crust is crispy.

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