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Italian White Pizza / Pizza Bianca

Pizza Bianca, is a classic Italian gem, a simple yet irresistible creation that is without the addition of tomatoes whether fresh or sauce. Its name, which means “white pizza,” hints at its distinguishing feature a luscious canvas of golden-brown dough topped with a balanced blend of cheeses, greens, and a drizzle of olive oil.

White pizza on a wooden board.


 

Whenever I made pizza, ate it in a restaurant or ordered take out it was always red pizza with olives or a classic Margherita. Never white, why? I have no idea! But I soon discovered I was really miss out on something!

This pizza can be made with either homemade pizza dough or store bought. I am including a recipe for two types of white pizza so you choose or why not make them both?!

Recipe Ingredients

Basic White Pizza

  • Pizza dough – enough for one crust
  • Pancetta
  • Mozzarella – firm mozzarella shredded
  • Parmesan cheese – flaked parmesan cheese
  • Arugula ( if the leaves are large cut in half)
  • Olive oil
Recipes ingredients.

Quite awhile ago, I was out shopping with my sister-in-law and I noticed her buying arugula and parmesan. At that time I wasn’t really impressed with Rugula/Rocket (arugula) and I asked her what she was planning to do with it. She told me she made pizza with it. We discussed how I had never really used arugula and then she told me about one of the most scrumptious pizzas ever, which I is one I am sharing today.

Ham & Triple Cheese White Pizza

  • Pizza dough – enough for one crust
  • Mozzarella – fresh small mozzarella thinly sliced
  • Provolone cheese
  • Parmesan cheese – freshly grated
  • Black olives – pitted
  • Ham – cooked or roasted ham
  • Olive oil
Ingredients for the recipe.

How To Make It

Prepare your pizza dough, whether you are making homemade or store bought.

Basic White Pizza

Place the dough on a pizza pan or even a cookie sheet will work, stretch the dough to form your desired shape, top with pancetta, shredded mozarella cheese and a drizzle of olive oil, and bake.

Making the pizza bianca.

Remove from the oven, just before serving top with arugula (rocket) and sprinkle with flakes of parmesan. Cut and serve.

The pizza baked on the black pan.

Ham & Triple Cheese White Pizza

Place the dough on the prepared pizza pan or even a cookie sheet will work, top with (in this order) sliced mozzarella, shredded provolone, ham strips, halved black olives, parmesan cheese and drizzle with olive oil.

The pizza with the ingredients before baked.

Bake until crust is golden and cheese has melted. Slice and serve.

The pizza baked.

How To Make Parmesan Flakes

The best way to make flakes it using authentic Parmesan cheese, use a potato peeler to shave or make flakes, add as little or as much as you want on the baked pizza!

What Is The Difference Between Parmigiano Reggiano And Parmesan?

The difference between them is that Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is authentic or DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta which means Protected Designation of Origin), and Parmesan cheese is just an imitation of Parmigiano Reggiano. Reggiano is always made in Italy, while Parmesan can be made anywhere, there are no restrictions on using the name Parmesan. And don’t forget a less expensive but also a DOP choice is Parmigiano Grana Padano.

Pizza baked with olives in a white bowl.

Variations & Substitutions

  • Pancetta – you could substitute with Italian sausage or prosciutto
  • Arugula – you could substitute with radicchio or even baby spinach
  • Provolone cheese – substitute with Fontina, Taleggio, Galbanino or even Gruyere
  • Black olives – you could also use green olives or add some minced garlic
  • Ham – substitute with prosciutto, sausage or even pancetta

Who Invented Pizza?

It is thought that the Italian baker Raffaele Esposito from Naples was the first to make a “pizza pie”. Although it is also thought that street vendors in Naples would sell flatbreads with toppings for many years before Raffaele.

Apparently the Italian King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples sometime in 1889. Esposito was asked to make a pizza for them. He proceeded to top the pizza with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil. That pizza was named Pizza Margherita and of course is still extremely popular today.

So What Exactly Is A White Pizza?

One thing I have learned since I’ve been living in Italy is that White Pizza is extremely underrated. There are basically two types of Pizza Bianca here, one with just a drizzle of olive oil and sometimes coarse salt, that is purchased usually as a snack, especially for kids. Or sometimes it is sliced through the centre and stuffed with mortadella (so good). And of course the two types I am sharing today, which is usually served in restaurants.

Different Toppings

Pancetta can be substituted with Italian sausage or even shrimp. You can use fresh or grilled vegetables as your topping as long as you don’t add tomatoes. You can also use a store bought crust but the best way to enjoy pizza is to make your own dough. Pizza dough is one of the easiest yeast doughs to make and so worth it.

Pizza with a slice on a spatula.

How To Store It

Leftover pizza should be wrapped air tight or placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge. It will last up to 4 days in the fridge. Re-heat in a low oven or microwave. If you know you are going to have leftovers then it might be a good idea to add the arugula before serving as re heating will wilt and dry it up.

How To Freeze White Pizza

It is best to freeze the leftovers sliced pizza on a cookie sheet until firm then move to a freezer safe container or bag. Separate the slices in layers with parchment paper or plastic wrap. It will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. Again freeze without the greens on top.

More White Pizza Recipes

Pizza in a black pan.

Now for every Red Pizza I make I will make 2 White Pizzas, so give it a try, nothing beats a great and tasty White Pizza Recipe. I bet you won’t even miss the sauce. Buon Appetito!

Pizza in a black pan.

Italian Pizza Bianca/White

Rosemary Molloy
Pizza Bianca / White Pizza, is a classic Italian gem, a simple yet irresistible creation that is without the addition of tomatoes whether fresh or sauce.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer, main dishes
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 1139 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 pizza crusts (homemade or store bought)

BASIC WHITE PIZZA

  • ¾ cup pancetta (chopped)
  • 1 cup firm mozzarella (shredded)
  • 1-2 tablespoons flaked fresh parmesan cheese (flake with a potato peeler)
  • 1 cup fresh arugula ( if the leaves are large cut in half)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

HAM & TRIPLE CHEESE PIZZA

  • 1 medium fresh mozzarella (drained in a sieve 1-2 hours)
  • cups shredded provolone cheese
  • 2-3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 10-12 black olives pitted (cut in half)
  • 3-4 slices cooked ham (cut into strips)
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven to 425-450F (225-250C). Brush the bottom of a 12 inch (30 cm) pizza pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

BASIC WHITE PIZZA

  • Prepare your pizza dough, whether you are making Homemade or store bought. Place the dough on a the prepared pizza pan and gently stretch to form the shape of the pan, prick the bottom of the dough with a fork, top with the pancetta, shredded mozarella cheese and drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil, bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden and baked.
  • Remove the pizza from the oven, top with the arugula (rocket) and sprinkle with flakes of parmesan. Slice and serve. Enjoy!

HAM & TRIPLE CHEESE PIZZA

  • Pre-heat oven to 425-450F (225-250C). Brush the bottom of a 12 inch (30 cm) pizza pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  • Place the dough on a the prepared pizza pan and gently stretch to form the shape of the pan, prick the bottom of the dough with a fork, top with (in this order) sliced mozzarella, shredded provolone, ham strips, halved black olives, parmesan cheese and drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden and baked. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

For this recipe I used a good store bought dough and I pricked the bottom of the dough with the tongs of a fork, it kept it from getting  bubbles on top that you can notice in the finished first dough photo.
Leftover pizza should be wrapped air tight or placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge. It will last up to 4 days in the fridge. Re-heat in a low oven or microwave. If you know you are going to have leftovers then it might be a good idea to add the arugula before serving as re heating will wilt and dry it up.
It is best to freeze the leftovers sliced pizza on a cookie sheet until firm then move to a freezer safe container or bag. Separate the slices in layers with parchment paper or plastic wrap. It will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. Again freeze without the greens on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 1139kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 2346mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 833IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 747mg | Iron: 6mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!

Updated from February 24, 2018.

26 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is the best pizza I’ve ever made! That pizza dough was soft and it was so easy to make! Thank you! 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    I made this recipe last Sunday evening. It was delicious – even MY Italian said “We can have this again!” I was surprised that I even had time to make the pizza dough and it rose in plenty of time. The Arugula was a new twist for us and the pancetta gave it just the right complimentary flavor. So thanks once again for another happy ending to a new recipe.

  3. Cannot wait to make this
    Sounds fast + easy + tasty
    I prefer white prefer 2/1, over red any day ❤

  4. Pizza bianca in the town where my husband is from (Viterbo) is so delicious. Whenever we make pizza we always do two large, one with sauce and one white. The white pizza is just topped with olive oil, salt and fresh rosemary. You must try it!

    1. Hi Joan, yes usually in Italy white pizza with olive oil and fresh rosemary is sold in bakeries (forno) and a white pizza that I shared is more a restaurant pizza. Take care.

  5. 5 stars
    Great pizza! I bought fresh dough and left the dough out for 3 hours on a cookie sheet under a bowl. It was much easier to spread. Greased pizza sheet with olive oil. Instead of pancetta I used pre-diced prosciutto. Cooked exactly according to directions. Delicious!!

  6. 5 stars
    I love the sound of this, idea… The Hungarians have a version of white pizza and that has a base sauce of sour cream, it’ not for me but my wife loves it.

  7. 5 stars
    I love love love pizza but I have to admit I’m pretty boring when it comes to toppings. But I have some white sauce leftover after making shrimp alfredo the other day so I’m definitely making this one!

  8. 5 stars
    We first tried arugula on pizza in California… so good! It’s a staple on our grilled pizzas in the summer. I’m loving the simplicity of the topping combination here. Maybe for the first grilled pizza of the season. 😉

  9. 5 stars
    These pizza recipes look fabulous! Can’t wait to try some of them. Thanks for sharing! Anything that makes pizza healthier is a winner in my book!

  10. Simple yet healthy!! I’ve never tried pizza with arugula before, but the salty panchetta would pair perfectly with the spicy arugula, YUM!!

  11. 5 stars
    There is nothing like white pizza. I usually make mine with ricotta cheese and fresh mozzarella. Definitely am going to try your recipe. Thank you.

      1. Hi Rosemary lm really excited to try your pizzas but how do l make a nice pizza dough . Thanks

      2. Hi Ian, here is my pizza dough recipe that is quite popular and good I must admit :). https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/best-pizza-dough/ , let me know if you try. Take care!

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