Jul 09 2026
Restaurants›The Monica›La Blanca Recipe

La Blanca Recipe

Inspired by The Monica
Time1h 30m
Serves4

homemade white sauce, fresh mozzarella, queso fresco, fresh herbs, & pistachio pesto

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Ingredients

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Dough (makes 4 small pizzetas)

White sauce (homemade creamy garlic béchamel)

Pistachio pesto

Toppings

Finishing herbs & garnish

Method

Dough (makes 4 small pizzetas)

  1. 1

    Mix and autolyse

    In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, 2.5 tsp instant yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1.5 tsp salt. Add 1 cup warm water and 2 tbs olive oil. Stir until a shaggy dough forms and all flour is hydrated. Cover and let rest 10 minutes (autolyse).

  2. 2

    Knead

    Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic (or use a stand mixer with dough hook on medium-low for 5–6 minutes). The dough should be tacky but not sticky; add a teaspoon of flour if extremely sticky.

  3. 3

    First rise

    Form dough into a ball, oil the bowl lightly, place dough back in, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.

  4. 4

    Divide and rest

    Punch down the dough, divide into 4 equal pieces. Shape each into a tight ball, place on a floured sheet or tray, cover, and let rest 20–30 minutes while you prepare sauces and preheat the oven. Dough balls will relax and be easier to stretch.

White sauce (homemade creamy garlic béchamel)

  1. 5

    Sauté garlic

    In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbs unsalted butter. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

  2. 6

    Make roux

    Sprinkle 2 tbs flour over the garlic and butter and whisk constantly for 1–1.5 minutes to cook the raw flour taste but do not let it brown.

  3. 7

    Add milk and thicken

    Slowly pour in 1.5 cups whole milk in a thin stream while whisking to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking, until the sauce thickens to a spreadable consistency, about 3–5 minutes.

  4. 8

    Finish sauce

    Remove from heat and whisk in 0.5 cup grated Parmesan, 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. If you like a silkier finish, whisk in 1 tbs olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning; the sauce should be creamy and slightly seasoned since some toppings are salty.

Pistachio pesto

  1. 9

    Pulse base ingredients

    In a food processor, combine 0.75 cups shelled pistachios, 1 cup packed basil leaves, 0.25 cup packed parsley, 1 garlic clove, 0.25 cup grated Pecorino/Parmesan, 1 tbs lemon juice, 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Pulse to coarsely chop.

  2. 10

    Emulsify with oil

    With the processor running, stream in 0.25 cup extra-virgin olive oil until the pesto comes together but still has texture. If it’s too thick, add 1 tbs water or oil to loosen. Taste and adjust salt, lemon or cheese as needed.

  3. 11

    Store

    Transfer pesto to a bowl and cover with a thin layer of oil if not using immediately to prevent oxidation. Refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze portions for longer storage.

Assembly & bake

  1. 12

    Preheat oven

    Place a pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet on the middle rack and preheat the oven to its highest setting (500–550°F / 260–290°C) for at least 30 minutes so the stone becomes very hot.

  2. 13

    Shape the pizzetas

    On a lightly floured surface, gently press or stretch each dough ball into a 7–8-inch round, leaving a slightly thicker rim. If the dough resists, let it rest 5–10 minutes and try again.

  3. 14

    Brush and sauce

    Brush each dough lightly with 1/4 tsp olive oil (from the 1 tbs for brushing). Spread about 3–4 tbs of the white sauce over each base in a thin, even layer, leaving the edge bare.

  4. 15

    Add cheeses and toppings

    Dot or evenly distribute fresh mozzarella (about 3 oz per pizzeta) and crumble queso fresco (about 1 oz per pizzeta) on top of the white sauce. Scatter thin slices of red onion as desired and optionally sprinkle 0.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes across all pizzetas if you like heat.

  5. 16

    Bake

    Transfer one or two pizzetas at a time to the preheated stone or inverted sheet (use a peel or the back of a baking sheet dusted with semolina or flour). Bake 7–10 minutes until crust is blistered and golden and cheese is melted and bubbling. Rotate halfway if your oven browns unevenly.

Finishing & serve

  1. 17

    Add pistachio pesto

    Remove baked pizzetas from the oven. Spoon or dot about 1–1.5 tbs of pistachio pesto onto each pizzeta and gently spread in swirls or leave as dollops for a more pronounced flavor contrast.

  2. 18

    Herbs and garnish

    Scatter torn fresh basil (about 2 tbsp worth per pizzeta), 1/2 tbsp chopped oregano, and 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley over each. Finish with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt (a pinch, from the 0.5 tsp) and a little lemon zest (about 1/4 tsp per pizzeta) to brighten flavors.

  3. 19

    Slice and serve

    Let pizzetas rest 1–2 minutes, then slice and serve hot. Pairs well with a simple green salad and an extra spoonful of pistachio pesto on the side.

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