New York White Pizza Recipe

I discovered white pizza on a random day in New York City.  We put in our names to eat at Serendipity, but given the hour-long wait, we decided to get some lunch across the street at Patsy's Pizzeria before our dessert.  My sister, Britney, and I both love cheese and decided to order something we'd never heard of, but appealed to us due to it's "all cheese, no sauce" nature - white pizza.

That day, dear friends, was the day I fell in love.  Every single trip we have taken to New York since has involved at least one trip to Patsy's for white pizza.  

I have been to over a half dozen pizzerias in Salt Lake City and none of them come close to replicating my Patsy's, not even the one that so kindly tried to replicate a recipe from online for us.  Naturally, I had to create my own.  Unfortunately, I have no coal oven and don't want the fuss of making hand-tossed dough, so regular ole store-bought dough will have to do.

I served this super easy recipe at my 2014 Tony Awards party to rave reviews - one guest even told me that my white pizza deserved a Tony.  

Ingredients

• 1 thin-crust pizza dough (use the in-a-can kind at your grocery store or buy at local pizzeria)
• Pre-minced garlic (dollar a jar, so worth not having to mince your own and lasts forever)
• 1 tbsp olive oil, little more if needed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oregano to taste (1 tsp - 1 tbsp)
• hand-shredded into tiny pieces of fresh basil to your liking - 1-2 tablespoons or 2 sprigs of leaves should be enough
• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella
• 3/4 - 1 cup ricotta
• 3/4 - 1 cup parmigiano-reggiano 
• Several Slices of fresh mozzarella or about 12 balls of fresh mozzarella - your choice - heck add a ton of cheese if you want, it's your pizza!  Just make sure there is some fresh mozz in every bite.

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
• Evenly spread olive oil over cookie sheet
• Spread dough onto cookie sheet
• Lightly dab minced garlic all over dough, be careful to not over-do it but also get it evenly distributed
• Place dough in the oven for 5 minutes
• Spread shredded mozz on dough over entire crust, leave no edges (continue covering entire crust when adding toppings)
• Sprinkle salt and pepper over mozz & dough to your liking
• Sprinkle oregano evenly
• Dollop teaspoon sized mounds of ricotta all over dough, making sure to leave them in their dollop-mounds 
• Sprinkle parmigiano-reggiano evenly 
• Spread fresh mozz (slices or balls, whatever you chose) over entire pizza
• Sprinkle hand-shredded tiny pieces of basil evenly
• Bake for 10 minutes at 400
• Cool at least five minutes on the sheet before eating, but if you want to burn your tongue, go for it sooner

I didn't take a picture, but I will post one next time I make this, which shouldn't be too long:-)