This is the kind of pizza you make when self care means an evening at home tucked in with rich and cozy, deeply comforting, simple-meets-decadent, cheesy, saucy mushrooms on a soft and chewy homemade pizza crust dripping with truffle oil and roasted garlic.
My oh my. This pizza is a stunner. It deserves your complete, undivided, wholly devoted love and adoration. This will not be difficult or a sacrifice, believe you me.
Jump to:
+ Subscribe to my newsletter for new and exclusive recipes in your in-box every month! As a full time traveler, living, working, cooking, and baking from a 5th wheel RV, it's also where I share our experiences of life on the road.
Ingredients needed to prepare this recipe
There are 5 parts to this shamelessly decadent pizza:
- Pizza dough, preferably homemade. My favorite homemade pizza dough recipe requires about 15 minutes of hands-on time and will give you a pizza crust that's golden and crispy on the outside, and soft, chewy, and richly flavorful on the inside. This is the recipe I've been making for decades and it's never let us down.
- Mushroom ragù: This rich and flavorful mushroom ragù is one of the most versatile recipes I know how to make. It's easy to make in advance and delicious on practically everything, but maybe especially pizza and pasta.
- Garlic and herb oil: Instead of sauce, the crust of this pizza is coated with a thick layer of roasted garlic and herb oil. To make it, simply simmer fresh garlic, dried Italian seasoning, salt, and crushed red pepper in extra virgin olive oil until the garlic is golden and your whole house smells like your favorite Italian restaurant.
- Cheese: There are three kinds of cheese on this pizza, mozzarella, goat cheese, and shredded parmesan, because we are not messing around. This combo gives you a little bit of everything - melty and mild, creamy and sharp, and rich and nutty.
- Toppings: When the pizza is warm from the oven and spilling over with cheesy mushroom goodness, we're gonna take it over-the-top with a drizzle of truffle oil and handfuls of fresh chives and chopped Italian parsley or any other kind of fresh herbs.
Additions and substitutions
Before we get into all the ways this pizza can be changed, I want to make the case for making it at least once as is because it is hard (even impossible) to beat the combination of bread + cheese + roasted garlic and mushrooms + truffle oil + fresh herbs.
Ok. But we are still talking about a pizza, which means it can be altered and added to in whatever way you want. And, it is your pizza after all so you should do what you want. Here are a few ideas:
- Store bought pizza crust. While it breaks my heart to say this, you can certainly use a store bought pizza crust and it will still be good. Possibly even great. We've all got to take the shortcuts where we can. I get it. But, maybe just once try a homemade crust, ok? It's kinda like homemade tortillas. There's just no comparison.
- Instead of the mushroom ragu: I'll skip any suggestions for replacing the mushrooms with something else, which of course you can, but if that's what you want to do I'm not sure how you ended up here in the first place? What you can do is replace the mushroom ragu with mushrooms that you've simply chopped up and roasted or sautéed in some oil and/ or butter. If you're short on time, this is a terrific shortcut.
- The cheese: If the blend of mozzarella, goat cheese, and parmesan doesn't float your boat, use whatever kind of cheese you like. I do think it's important to have some melty cheese on there no matter what. Here are some good options: Fontina, gouda, asiago, taleggio, provolone, gruyere, Monterey Jack, or Swiss. Good alternatives to goat cheese include ricotta, labneh, feta or marinated feta, or halloumi.
- Additions: Toss anything else on there that you want. Here are a few ideas: Cooked Italian sausage, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers or marinated roasted peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, caramelized onions, or any kind of olives.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
Follow this pizza dough recipe to make the dough. Obviously, skip this step if you're using store bought dough or a prepared crust.
The dough will take about an hour to rise (proof), which is about the amount of time you'll need to make the mushroom ragu. You can also mix up the dough in the morning and leave it to rise slowly in the refrigerator all day.
Make the mushroom ragu. It will take about the same amount of time to make the ragu as you need for the pizza dough to rise. Alternatively, the ragu can be prepared up to 5 days in advance and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Pour some extra virgin olive oil into a saucepan or skillet and add some chopped garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and crushed red pepper. Cook the garlic and herbs until the garlic is starting to turn golden brown. Scoop into a bowl and let cool slightly.
Heat the oven to 475 degrees (F). Gently pull and stretch the dough into a 12-inch (approximately) round circle. Lay it on a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet that's been dusted with semolina flour or covered with parchment paper to prevent the dough from sticking to the peel.
Semolina flour is coarse ground so won't absorb into the dough and won't burn while the pizza is cooking.
I also like to use parchment paper because you can slide the pizza, parchment and all, in and out of the oven.
Pour the garlic and herb oil over the pizza dough and spread it out so that it covers the dough completely.
Top the crust with an even layer of mozzarella cheese (sliced or grated). Use your fingers to pinch off chunks of the goat cheese and scatter that over the mozzarella.
Spoon the mushroom ragu over the cheese, dropping it in spoonfuls across the entire surface.
Sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over the pizza and slide it into the oven to bake. Bake the pizza on a preheated baking stone, pizza steel or on a baking sheet.
Pro tip! You'll get the best texture if you bake the pizza on a pizza stone or baking steel that has been preheated inside the oven so that it's very hot when you place the pizza on it to bake.
Baking stones and steels are a great investment that will last a very long time. I baked pizza on the same baking stone for at least 20 years, only giving it away in 2020 when we sold our house and moved into an RV.
Now I use a baking steel because it's slightly smaller and is easier to store in my new tiny kitchen. It works just as well (and maybe slightly better) than my old baking stone.
The great thing about baking stones and baking steels is that they are designed to produce a deliciously crisp, evenly baked crust. But if you don't have either one, not to worry. You can still get delicious results by using an overturned and preheated rimmed baking sheet or rimless baking sheet set on the lowest oven rack.
Use the pizza peel to remove the pizza from the oven.
Sprinkle the pizza with plenty of chopped chives and fresh herbs. Don't be shy here. You'll want at least a half of a cup of chopped herbs on this pizza. I used Italian parsley.
How to know when the pizza is done baking. It can be tricky to know when the crust is baked through, so here are a couple of tips:
- The outside edge of the crust should be golden and not look wet or pale.
- Use a flat spatula to gently lift one side of the pizza up so you can see the bottom of the crust. It should be golden brown and look and feel solid and crispy.
- The cheese should be completely melted and bubbling.
- You can also use your fingers to tap the edge of the crust. If it sounds hollow, the pizza is likely done. If it sounds dense or doughy, it needs more time in the oven.
More ways to use mushroom ragu
I almost always make a double or triple batch of mushroom ragu just so I can put some away in the freezer for another day. Make it once and you'll see what I mean when I say there are an endless number of uses for it.
For example, use it to make this luxuriously creamy, cheesy mushroom pasta or layer it into this mushroom lasagna with béchamel sauce.
Spoon mushroom ragù over polenta, mashed potatoes, or crispy fried potatoes. Like this pizza, I almost always top bowls of potatoes and mushrooms with a drizzle of truffle oil. SO good!
Stir it into scrambled eggs, spoon it over fried or hard boiled eggs, or fold it into an omelette or a frittata.
Spread it onto sandwiches or over thick slices of crusty bread, or toast. Want to really blow your mind? Add it to your next grilled cheese.
A bowl of mushroom ragu is also a delicious addition to your next cheese board or tapas spread. Serve it with flatbread and marinated feta.
More recipes for mushroom lovers
+ Subscribe to my newsletter for new and exclusive recipes in your in-box every month! As a full time traveler, living, working, cooking, and baking from a 5th wheel RV, it's also where I share our experiences of life on the road.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.
📖 Recipe
Mushroom Pizza
This mushroom pizza is rich, cozy, deeply comforting, simple-meets-decadent, cheesy, saucy, and dripping with truffle oil and roasted garlic.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of pizza dough, I recommend this homemade pizza dough recipe(see note below)
- 1 cup mushroom ragu
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, more to taste
- 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, fresh or standard, sliced or grated
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 3 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons Truffle oil
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped chives
- about ½ cup chopped fresh herbs (I used Italian flat leaf parsley)
Instructions
- Follow this pizza dough recipe to make the dough. (Skip this step if you're using store bought dough or a prepared crust.) The dough will take about an hour to rise (proof), which is about the amount of time you'll need to make the mushroom ragu. You can also mix up the dough in the morning and leave it to rise slowly in the refrigerator all day.
- Make the mushroom ragu. It will take about the same amount of time to make the ragu as you need for the pizza dough to rise. Alternatively, the ragu can be prepared up to 5 days in advance and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.
- Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a saucepan or skillet and add the chopped garlic, Italian seasoning, a pinch of salt, and the crushed red pepper. Set the pan over medium heat and cook until the garlic is just beginning to turn golden brown. Scoop into a bowl and let cool slightly.
- Heat the oven to 475 degrees F (246 degrees C). Gently pull and stretch the dough into a 12-inch (approximately) round circle. Lay it on a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet that's been dusted with semolina flour or covered with parchment paper to prevent the dough from sticking to the peel or baking sheet.
- Pour the garlic and herb oil over the pizza dough and spread it out so that it covers the dough completely.
- Spread the mozzarella cheese over the dough in an even layer. Use your fingers to pinch off chunks of the goat cheese and scatter that over the mozzarella.
- Spoon the mushroom ragu over the cheese, dropping it in spoonfuls across the entire surface of the pizza.
- Sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over the pizza and slide it into the oven to bake. Bake the pizza on a preheated baking stone, pizza steel or on a baking sheet.
- The pizza will take about 16 minutes to bake, but the timing can vary, so watch your pizza closely.. When done, the outside edge of the crust will be golden and not look wet or pale, and the cheese will be completely melted and bubbling. To check that the dough is cooked through, use a flat spatula to gently lift one side of the pizza up so you can see the bottom of the crust. It should be golden brown and look and feel solid and crispy.
- Remove the pizza from the oven. Drizzle with a tablespoon or two of truffle oil (truffle oil is pungent, so don't overdo it). Sprinkle the surface of the pizza with the chopped chives and herbs and serve.
Notes
- This recipe makes one 12-inch pizza which requires 1 pound of pizza dough. My favorite homemade pizza dough recipe makes 2 pounds of dough so you can either cut the recipe in half to make 1 pound of dough, or make the full recipe and freeze the left over pound of dough for another day. To freeze, place the dough in a zip-top bag or another air-tight container, leaving a bit of room for expansion. Allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
- To keep the pizza from sticking to the pizza peel or baking sheet: Semolina flour is coarse ground so won't absorb into the dough and won't burn while the pizza is cooking. I also like to use parchment paper because you can slide the pizza, parchment and all, in and out of the oven.
- Your pizza will have the best texture if you bake the pizza on a pizza stone or baking steel that has been preheated inside the oven so that it's very hot when you place the pizza on it to bake.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Farberware Insulated Bakeware Nonstick Cookie Baking Sheet, 14" x 16", Light Gray
-
New Star Foodservice Restaurant-Grade Wooden Pizza Peel, 16" L x 14" W Plate, with 10" L Wooden Handle, 24" Overall Length
-
Artisan Steel - High Performance Pizza Steel Made in the USA - 16" x 14.25" (.25" Thick)
-
Heritage 15" Ceramic Pizza Stone Set - Non-Stick, Stain-Free with Bonus Cutter - Black
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
⅙th of the pizzaAmount Per Serving: Calories: 539Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 1023mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 20g
Comments
No Comments