Monday Munchies - Spinoccoli Pizza

Today's recipe was a new one I tried out on Friday night.  My roommate had to work late which is a good thing because my first pizza crust was a complete, unsalvageable (is that even a word?), flop.  I'm still getting the hang of this altitude cooking stuff (living at 6,500 feet really does make a huge difference in cooking and baking, it's crazy)!  But, I tried again with a high altitude recipe, and the second one was a success.  And the pizza was pretty tasty too!  I absolutely love broccoli, it's one of my favorite veggies, so when I saw this pizza recipe on a blog several months ago I knew I wanted to try it.  It reminded me of a pizza version of chicken and broccoli alfredo (except without the chicken).  I like to have some vegetarian meals each week and this was a great option, but I also think it would be good with some chicken or bacon on it if you're not into the veggie thing.  Also, if my first crust worked I had planned to put some caramelized onions on it, but didn't have time since I had to make another crust, and after eating it I think it would be good with red onions too.  The sauce recipe makes a bit too much for the pizza, but it's a perfect dipping sauce for the crust!

Spinoccoli Pizza
White Sauce
1 T. butter
1 T. flour
3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half (I used fat free half and half to make it a little healthier)
1 clove of garlic, smashed (Here is a YouTube video complete with super cheesy music that shows you how to smash garlic!)
Salt and pepper to taste
6 T. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until bubbling and light golden, about 1 minute.  Whisk in the heavy cream or half and half, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and bubbles.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the grated Parmesan until completely melted and smooth.  Discard the garlic clove.

Pizza
Unbaked pizza crust (although I always bake mine for a few minutes before topping it to make sure the crust is completely done)
1/2 cup packed baby spinach leaves, torn
1 cup of small broccoli florets
2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Grated Parmesan

Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round.  Lightly brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil.  Spread a thin layer of the white sauce over the crust, leaving a border clear around the edge for the crust.  Sprinkle the torn spinach leaves over the white sauce.  Evenly distribute the broccoli florets over the dough.  Layer evenly with the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.  Finish with additional grated Parmesan, if desired.  Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.


Recipe Source: Annie's Eats