Mazzio's - Chicken Spinach Alfredo Pizza Recipe

Preheat and prepare dough

Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C). If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven while preheating. Lightly flour a work surface with the 2 tbs flour. Let the 1 lb pizza dough sit at room temperature 20–30 minutes if refrigerated. Stretch or roll the dough into a 12-inch round (about 1/4-inch thick) on the floured surface, working from the center outward. Transfer the stretched dough to a piece of parchment paper or a floured pizza peel.

Brush the outer 1/2-inch rim of the dough lightly with 1 tbs olive oil to help it brown and crisp during baking. This also prevents the sauce from soaking into the crust edge.

Make the alfredo base

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbs unsalted butter. Add 2 tsp minced garlic and sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not brown.

Whisk in 1 tbs flour and cook 30 seconds to eliminate raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in 3 tbs whole milk until smooth, then whisk in 1 cup heavy cream. Increase heat to bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently so it does not scorch.

Once simmering, reduce heat to low and whisk in 3 oz freshly grated Parmesan until melted and smooth. Season with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Simmer gently 2–3 minutes until sauce thickens to a spoon-coating consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and let cool slightly so it will not overly soak the dough.

Prepare chicken and spinach

If chicken is cold, warm it slightly in a microwave (30–60 seconds) or in a skillet to take the chill off; shred or chop into bite-sized pieces so it distributes evenly. Quickly wilt the 2 cups fresh baby spinach: heat a skillet over medium heat with a small spray of oil or a teaspoon of olive oil, add spinach and toss 30–60 seconds until just wilted; remove and gently squeeze out excess liquid. Pat chicken and spinach dry with paper towel if they released moisture.

Assemble toppings on the dough: Spoon an even layer of the alfredo sauce over the prepared dough, leaving the oiled rim uncovered (about 3/4 cup of sauce, depending on thickness). Sprinkle 8 oz shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce. Distribute the 10 oz chopped/shredded cooked chicken evenly, then scatter the wilted spinach over the chicken. If you like heat, sprinkle 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes evenly.

Bake the pizza

Slide the pizza (on parchment or a peel) onto the preheated pizza stone or a baking sheet placed in the 475°F oven. Bake 10–12 minutes, rotating once halfway through, until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Remove pizza from oven and let rest 2–3 minutes. Sprinkle 1 tbs grated Parmesan and 1 tbs chopped fresh parsley over the top. If desired, squeeze the lemon wedge over the finished pizza for a bright finish.

Slice into 8 slices and serve hot.