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Spinach Pizza (Florentine Pizza) | The Picky Eater



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This delicious Spinach Pizza (also known as Florentine Pizza) features a cheesy white pizza sauce, sautéed garlicky spinach, and an easy homemade no-rise crust! This white spinach pizza recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare and makes a fantastic weeknight meal. It’s ready in under 35 minutes and can easily be made with chicken and other vegetables. You won’t want to miss the chewy center and crispy crust of this delicious pizza!

With fresh Italian ingredients, feta cheese, spinach, garlic, and a crispy, thin crust, this homemade spinach pizza is great for the whole family! It serves 4 people, so if you have big eaters in your family, you may want to make a second for pizza night. Make sure to have plenty of napkins on hand because no one will be able to put these slices down! 

🙋🏽‍♀️ What Is Spinach Pizza?

If you’ve never had spinach on pizza, you are in for a treat! Though spinach can be featured on pizzas in many different styles and flavor varieties, this pizza is assembled in the Florentine style.

That is, it is assembled with a ricotta, feta, and parmesan white sauce base which is then topped with garlicky sauteed spinach before baking. Seriously, you just can’t miss this spinach and ricotta cheese pizza!

Feel free to add extra cheese (like fresh mozzarella), additional veggies, or even meat or chicken to this versatile white pizza with spinach! You’ll love how easily it comes together and how quickly it disappears from plates even more! 

Latest Recipe Video!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love This Spinach Pizza Recipe

It’s hard to go wrong when putting spinach, parmesan, feta cheese, and ricotta on pizza! This Florentine pizza recipe is:

  • Easy to make: This recipe is as great for novice cooks as it is for experienced chefs. You don’t need any special equipment like a pizza stone or a pizza peel. It’s simple to prepare and the results are delicious!
  • A great weeknight meal: Being a surprisingly quick recipe to make, this spinach feta pizza doesn’t need to be contained to just pizza night! It’s great anytime of the week, and is a total comfort food meal for the family!
  • No-rise crust: There’s no need to fuss with yeast when making this pizza dough recipe, saving you on time and hassle.
  • Easy-to-find ingredients: With a simple ingredient list, you can find everything you need for this spinach and cheese pizza at most major grocery stores.
  • Super cheesy: Have you ever put ricotta cheese on pizza? If not, get ready for a treat! Along with the parmesan and feta cheese, the 3 kinds of cheese form a savory and creamy base that will have you reaching for seconds.

🥘 Ingredients

All you need is the following list of fresh ingredients to whip up this quick pizza!

All of the ingredients for spinach pizza on a white background.

Homemade Pizza Dough Ingredients

  • Whole Wheat Flour: Makes this spinach Florentine pizza a great source of whole grains and fiber.
  • Baking Powder: Helps the crust rise.
  • Water And Olive Oil: Provides the this basic pizza dough with moisture, melds the ingredients together, and makes the dough chewy and delicious!
  • Salt: A pinch of salt gives the dough flavor and also helps to tenderize it.

White Pizza Sauce Ingredients

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Used to sauté the garlic cloves and fresh spinach leaves before adding to the pizza. A drizzle of olive oil is also delicious on top of the pizza right before serving.
  • Fresh Baby Spinach: Bright green spinach is the star ingredient of this homemade spinach pizza! I recommend buying organic spinach if you can!
  • Ricotta Cheese: This is the base for your cheesy white sauce. It adds creamy and savory notes that tie the whole white pizza recipe together. For best flavor, use whole milk Ricotta cheese.
  • Parmesan Cheese: Either shredded or grated parmesan works for this spinach and ricotta pizza, but I prefer shredded.
  • Feta Cheese: This tangy cheese adds dimension to the creamy ricotta base and is the perfect complement to sautéed spinach.
  • Seasonings: In particular, dried Italian seasonings, sea salt, and black pepper. If you’d like to add a bit of kick, you can sprinkle this spinach garlic pizza with red pepper flakes, too!

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

  • Herbs: Any combination of dried basil, parsley, oregano, and marjoram can substitute for the dried Italian seasoning. You can also fresh herbs to add a fresher pop of flavor to this fresh spinach pizza. Rosemary, thyme, and basil are some of my favorites!
  • Spinach: Frozen spinach can work in place of fresh. Thaw the spinach before using and be sure to squeeze the moisture out of it before sautéing it with the fresh garlic. You can also use baby kale if you don’t have spinach.
  • Cheeses: Crumbled goat cheese can also work if you don’t have feta. You can also use other hard, aged cheeses instead of the parmesan like asiago or pecorino romano.

🔪 How To Make Spinach Pizza

Here’s how to make Florentine pizza. Note: please see the recipe card below for the exact ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Preheat The Oven, Combine Dry Ingredients: Heat oven temperature to 356 degrees F / 180 C. Position oven rack in the center of the oven. In a small bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together until well combined.

dry ingredients for pizza dough combined in a bowl.

Add Wet Ingredients: Add the olive oil and water to the flour mixture.

A bowl of flour and water before being mixed together.

Knead The Dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes until the dough is smooth.

Pizza dough being formed on a cutting board.

Rest: Allow the ball of dough to rest for 10 minutes.

A ball of pizza dough on a cutting board.

Prepare The Toppings: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the crushed garlic for 1-2 minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic. Toss the spinach leaves and Italian herbs with the garlic until the leaves are wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to allow the spinach mixture to cool.

Baby spinach wilted in a pan.

Roll The Dough: Roll the dough out between 2 sheets of baking paper, forming one large rectangle shape about 1/2 inch thick. Remove the top sheet of paper.

Pizza dough rolled out on parchment paper.

Bake: Place Florentine pizza crust onto a large baking sheet or sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven. Bake in your preheated oven for 5 minutes.

Add The White Pizza Sauce And Spinach: Spread the crust with the ricotta cheese and layer the sautéed spinach on top. Sprinkle this creamy spinach pizza with feta cheese and parmesan.

A baking sheet of spinach pizza before it goes in the oven.

Finish Baking The Pizza: Place the spinach ricotta pizza back in the oven and bake for 10 mins more or until the crust is slightly golden brown and cooked through.

A baking sheet of spinach white spinach fresh out of the oven.

Serve: Cut your pizza Florentine into even slices (about 12 pieces) using a chef’s knife or a pizza cutter. Serve hot!

Up close shot of spinach pizza with ricotta and feta cheese sliced on a white platter.

💭 Expert Tips

  • Cooking The Garlic: It’s important to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn. It only needs to be cooked for about 30 seconds before turning off the heat and adding the spinach.
  • Pizza Size: This dough can make either 2×8 inch pizzas or one large spinach pizza.
  • Dough Tips: Don’t overwork the dough as this will create a tough pizza dough. Also, allow the dough to rest, covered on the work surface before rolling out.

🍞 Pizza Dough Alternatives

This crust is made with baking powder instead of yeast, making it a super fast and easy pizza dough option. But you can use any type of crust you like. If you’d rather make this spinach white pizza with yeasted dough, you can use either of the following:

  • Yeasted Pizza Dough: If you’d like to make yeasted pizza dough, you can do this the morning before you bake the pizza or up to 3 days beforehand. Wrap it tightly and put it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. If it’s going to be longer than 3 days, go ahead and freeze it. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator a day before using it. Try this Poolish pizza dough for a delicious homemade yeasted dough.
  • Pre-Made Pizza Dough: If you’d rather not make the dough at all, you can buy pre-made pizza dough or frozen pizza crusts from the grocery store instead. 

And if you’re looking for a lower calorie option for pizza dough, try our low calorie pizza base! It’s made with just self rising flour, Greek yogurt, and salt, and tastes just like regular pizza dough!

👨‍👩‍👧 Serving Suggestions

Spinach and ricotta cheese pizza is best served hot out of the oven, drizzled with high-quality olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar. It is fantastic alongside any of the following sides:

📖 Variations

  • Chicken Florentine Pizza: This spinach cheese pizza is vegetarian as-is, but to make spinach and chicken pizza all you have to do is top it with grilled chicken breast before baking.
  • Extra Cheesy Spinach Pizza: You can add to the blend of cheese in this pizza by topping it with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese before baking, for an extra gooey and cheesy pizza!
  • Spinach Pizza With Red Sauce: You can make this Florentine pizza with tomato sauce instead of the white sauce as a 1:1 replacement, but the flavors of the pizza will taste more like a traditional pizza recipe
  • Use Different Cheeses: Mozzarella cheese, romano cheese, or even a blend of cheddar cheese would all work well. Toss the cheeses you choose together, spread the cheese mixture on top of the sauce, and place the other ingredients on top. 
  • Switch Up Pizza Toppings: You can add extra veggies or any toppings you like! Banana peppers, bell peppers, black olives, artichokes, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, green olives, green peppers, red onions, hot Italian sausage, fresh mushrooms, pepperoni, and kalamata olives would all be delicious on this feta cheese pizza.
  • Add an Egg: Make this pizza in a classic Italian style by adding a fried egg on top of the pizza after it comes out of the oven!

✔️ Make It Gluten-Free

To make this white spinach pizza recipe gluten-free, just substitute 1:1 gluten-free baking flour for the whole wheat flour.

🧊 How To Store

To Store: Leftover ricotta pizza keeps covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To Reheat: Warm up leftover pizza in the microwave in 30-second increments or in the toaster oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes until it’s heated through. You can also heat it up in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 3-5 minutes. Whatever you do, just be sure to not overhead the pizza or the crust will become stiff.

To Freeze: Leftovers can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. To reheat, defrost the individual pieces of pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours (or at room temperature for 30 minutes), or until thawed. Then heat the pizza up in the microwave, toaster oven, or air fryer as directed above. 

❓ Recipe FAQs

Do you cook spinach before putting it on pizza?

Yes, you want to sauté the spinach before putting it on the pizza. As it cooks with the olive oil and garlic, it wilts and becomes nice and garlicky, contributing a great flavor to the spinach and feta pizza.

Does spinach go under or over cheese on pizza?

Though spinach can go under or over cheese on pizza — it really is just a matter of your personal preference — I prefer to put it over the cheese, as the spinach is a beautiful white pizza topping!

Is spinach cheese pizza healthy?

Yes, this spinach cheese pizza recipe is certainly a more nutritious and healthy pizza. With a whole wheat crust, vegetables, olive oil, and garlic, it provides plenty of fiber, protein, phytochemicals, and healthy fats!

How do I make the perfect crispy pizza crust?

If you want a crispy pizza crust, preheat the pizza stone or pizza pan in the oven while you’re preheating your oven! Then, if using a pizza pan, spray your pan with olive oil cooking spray before adding your pizza dough (there is no need to spray the pizza stone). This will help the dough to get nice and crispy!

Spinach pizza with ricotta and feta cheese sliced on a white platter.

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📋 Recipe Card

Spinach Pizza (Florentine Pizza)

This delicious Spinach Pizza (also known as Florentine Pizza) features a cheesy white pizza sauce, sautéed garlicky spinach, and an easy homemade no-rise crust! This white spinach pizza recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare and makes a fantastic weeknight meal. It’s ready in under 35 minutes and can easily be made with chicken and other vegetables. You won’t want to miss the chewy center and crispy crust of this delicious pizza!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 130kcal

  • Storage: Leftovers keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
  • Cooking the Garlic: It’s important to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn. It only needs to be cooked for about 30 seconds before turning off the heat and adding the spinach.
  • Using Yeasted Pizza Dough: This crust has no yeast, but rather baking powder which makes it rise slightly. If you’d like to make yeasted pizza dough, you can do this the morning before you bake the pizza up to 3 days beforehand. Wrap it tightly and put it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. If it’s going to be longer than 3 days, go ahead and freeze it. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator a day before using it. 
  • Using Pre-Made Pizza Dough: If you’d rather not make the dough at all, you can buy pre-made pizza dough from the grocery store instead. 
  • Using Frozen Spinach: If you don’t have fresh spinach, you can use frozen spinach – just make sure to let all the excess water drain from the spinach mixture before you add it as a topping!
  • Pizza Size: This dough can make either 2×8 inch pizzas or one large spinach pizza.
  • Dough Tips: Don’t overwork the dough as this will create a tough pizza dough. Also, allow the dough to rest, covered on the work surface before rolling out.
  • Making a Gluten-Free Pizza: 1:1 gluten-free flour can substitute for whole wheat flour to make this pizza gluten-free.

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g





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