Prosciutto & Arugula Recipe

Prepare oven

If using a wood-fired oven, preheat to 700–900°F (370–480°C) according to oven recommendations. If using a home oven, preheat to the highest temperature and place a pizza stone or steel in the oven for at least 45 minutes.

Stretch dough

Lightly flour your work surface. Stretch or roll the pizza dough to a roughly 12" (30 cm) round, leaving a slightly thicker rim for the crust. Transfer to a well-floured pizza peel or an upside-down baking sheet.

Flavor base

Whisk together 2 tbs EVOO, minced garlic, 1 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Brush the mixture evenly over the dough, leaving the outer 1/2"–1" rim uncoated.

Prepare ricotta mixture

In a bowl combine 1 cup ricotta, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, 1 tsp lemon zest, and 1/2 tbs lemon juice. Season with a pinch of flaky salt and 1/8–1/4 tsp red pepper flakes if using. Stir until smooth and slightly loose but not runny.

Assemble pizza

Using a spoon, dollop the ricotta mixture across the dough in 6–8 even spoonfuls, leaving space between dollops. Gently spread each dollop slightly but keep patches of exposed dough to allow charring. Tear or fold the prosciutto into large strips and distribute it lightly over the pizza (you can reserve a few slices to add after baking if you prefer a less cooked prosciutto texture).

Bake

Slide the pizza into the hot wood-fired oven. Bake for 90–180 seconds in a very hot wood-fired oven (times vary widely with oven temps). If using a home oven at maximum temp on stone/steel, bake 7–10 minutes, rotating halfway, until crust is golden with charred spots and ricotta is warmed and just set.

Dress arugula

While the pizza bakes, toss 2 cups arugula with 1 tsp EVOO and a light pinch of flaky sea salt to coat. This wilts the greens slightly when they meet the hot pizza and seasons them.

Finish pizza

When the pizza comes out of the oven, immediately scatter the dressed arugula across the pie, arranging the reserved prosciutto pieces (if any) on top. Drizzle 1 tsp finishing EVOO over the arugula and pizza, sprinkle 0.25 tsp flaky sea salt and an extra grind of black pepper to taste.

Serve

Let rest 1–2 minutes, slice into 6–8 pieces and serve hot. The contrast of warm ricotta, salty prosciutto and bright lemony arugula is best eaten immediately.