This Pizza Bianca is the most delicious 3 cheese white pizza that has zero tomato sauce. Loaded with garlic and drizzled with olive oil, this homemade pizza recipe is perfect for family pizza night and is even perfect to serve at parties. Best yet this is a delicious gluten free pizza that is also egg free, nut free and can be made vegan!
Pizza Bianca is my daughter's absolute favorite pizza! She asks for it once per week and it is even easy enough to make during busy weeknights! The cheeses, garlic and olive oil create the perfect blend of flavors; you won't miss the tomato sauce at all! The dough only needs 30 minutes to rest before baking and after a quick par-bake, the pizza only needs to bake for about 12 minutes!
For more savory recipes, try some Traditional Bao Buns With Mushroom Filling, Ramen With Roasted Tomatoes, and Cherry Tomato Pasta.
Reasons to Love this Pizza Bianca
- Allergy Friendly- This white pizza is gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Cheesy and Savory- The homemade pizza is gooey and delicious!
- Easy to Make- This recipe only uses a few ingredients and takes less than an hour from start to finish (including making homemade dough)!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Pizza Dough- We use our homemade gluten free pizza dough for this recipe! The dough makes two 12 inch pizzas and for this recipe we only need one 12 inch pizza; so only use half the dough. You can par-bake the other half or make two pies. I always love to have pizza slices in the freezer so my daughter can have it whenever the craving hits.
- Mozzarella- Covers the entire dough aside from the edges which is the crust. It’s smooth and mild flavor is the perfect base for the other cheeses.
- Pecorino Romano- Gets grated on top of the mozzarella. It’s a sharp and salty cheese made from goat’s milk. Yes, you could also use parmigiano reggiano instead but it doesn’t have that same saltiness so the pizza will be slightly less salty. In addition, flavor will be more mild and lack that tang that pecorino romano has.
- Garlic Powder- Gets mixed into the ricotta.
- Ricotta- We dollop the garlic ricotta all over the pizza.
- Olive Oil- We use robust extra virgin olive oil brushed on the edges of the crust and also drizzled over the pizza proper to baking.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make this into a White Vegan Pizza
- Follow the recipe to make our easy homemade gluten free pizza dough.
- Make sure to use vegan shredded mozzarella.
- I don't know of any vegan pecorino romano cheese but you can use vegan parmesan instead or leave this out.
- Use a vegan ricotta.
This recipe has not been tested with some of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Pizza Bianca
Here are the step by step instructions to make this white pizza!
Step 1: Shape the Dough
Place ½ the dough on a lightly floured surface.
Knead into a ball that isn't sticky. Flatten the dough into a disc and place on a greased pizza pan.
Push the dough from the center to the edges, moving constantly until it almost hits the edges of the 12 inch pizza pan. Sprinkle more flour as you need to prevent the dough from ripping or sticking.
Step 2: Par-bake the Dough
Cook the raw dough, as is, in a 450 degree oven for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, turn oven off and remove dough from the oven.
With a large spatula, carefully move the dough to a cooling rack. This will help prevent it from getting soggy on the bottoms. Let dough rest for 5 minutes on the rack.
Step 3: Add the Mozzarella, Garlic and Pecorino
After 5 minutes, turn oven back on to 400 degrees.
Sprinkle about 2 ½ cups of mozzarella over the plain dough, leaving the edge of the dough without cheese for the crust. Sprinkle ⅛th teaspoon garlic powder over the cheese.
Then shred about 2 tablespoons pecorino romano over the mozzarella.
Step 4: Make the Garlic Ricotta
Add ¾ cup of ricotta to a small bowl. Stir in ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and a pinch of kosher salt and mix until combined.
Dollop tablespoons of the ricotta all over the pie.
I usually do 6 dollops all around the pie and 1 dollop in the middle.
Step 5: Brush the Crust with Olive Oil and Drizzle
Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a tiny bowl and then using a silicone brush, brush the edge of the crust with the olive oil. If you don’t have a brush, dip a paper towel into the olive oil and gently rub the oil onto the crust.
Then drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a circular swirl motion over the cheese on the pizza, working from the outside in.
Step 6: Bake
Lastly, bake the white pizza in a 400 degree oven for about 12 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted, a little bubbly and getting golden on the edges.
Expert Baking Tips
- Make the Gluten Free Pizza Dough Beforehand - Follow my recipe for gluten free pizza dough. It is super quick but it will need to rest for about 30 minutes so start this process about 40 minutes prior to when you want to start making the pizza.
- Don't Stack the Cheese Too High- If you add too much cheese, the pizza will be very oily.
- Don't Use Fresh Mozzarella- The fresh mozzarella has too much moisture and your pizza will be too wet when baking.
Recipe FAQs
Pizza Bianca is a pizza made without tomato sauce and contains mozzarella, ricotta, pecorino romano or parmesan reggiano, olive oil and garlic. It is very common to New York City and NJ and you will usually find it in every single pizza shop.
Some recipes I have seen call for a white sauce like an alfredo or even a bechamel sauce. That is not traditional to a white pizza that you would find in the tri state area.
No. 3 cheeses are traditional to white pizza but you don't have to use them all. Mozzarella is needed but you can eliminate the pecorino and/or the ricotta if you don't like them.
Yes!
Ground Italian Sausage: If adding ground Italian sausage, make sure to cook the meat separately first. When the meat is completely cooked you can add it directly on top of the cheese prior to baking. Sprinkle a little extra mozzarella on top of the meat.
Arugula: I actually love to add arugula right after the pizza comes out of the oven. I lightly toss it with olive oil and then place it on top of the pizza. Drizzle a little thick balsamic on top; it is perfection!
Storing: Wrap any extra slices in aluminum foil and store in the fridge for one day.
Reheat in the microwave or bake at 350 degrees until warm again.
Freezing: Wrap any extra slices in aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the microwave or bake at 350 degrees until warm again.
More Savory Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Pizza Bianca (White Pizza)
Ingredients
- gluten free pizza dough
- 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese , whole milk
- 2 tablespoons pecorino romano cheese , grated
- ¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder (reserve ¼ teaspoon for the ricotta)
- 1 pinch of kosher salt
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese , whole milk
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , robust
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.With olive oil, grease a 12 inch pizza pan.
- Flatten the dough into a disc and place on the greased 12 inch pizza pan.Push the dough from the center to the edges, moving constantly until it almost hits the edges of the pan.Sprinkle more flour as you need to prevent the dough from ripping or sticking.
- Cook the raw dough, as is, in a 450 degree oven for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, turn oven off and remove dough from the oven.With a large spatula, carefully move the dough to a cooling rack. This will help prevent it from getting soggy on the bottoms. Let dough rest for 5 minutes on the rack.
- Turn oven back on to 400 degrees. Return baked dough to the pizza pan. Sprinkle 2 ½ cups of mozzarella over the plain dough, leaving the edge of the dough without cheese for the crust. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon garlic powder over the mozzarella cheese.
- Grate about 2 tablespoons pecorino romano over the mozzarella.
- Add ¾ cup of ricotta to a small bowl. Stir in ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and a 1 pinch of kosher salt and mix until combined.
- Dollop tablespoons of the ricotta all over the pie.I usually do 6 dollops all around the pie and 1 dollop in the middle.
- Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a tiny bowl and using a silicone brush, brush the edge of the crust with the olive oil. If you don’t have a brush, dip a paper towel into the olive oil and gently rub the oil onto the crust.Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a circular swirl motion over the cheese on the pizza, working from the outside in.
- Turn the oven back on to 400 degrees.Bake the white pizza in a 400 degree oven for about 12 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted, a little bubbly and getting golden on the edges.
- Remove from oven and use a pizza cutter to cut the pie into 8 slices. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Reheat in the microwave or bake at 350 degrees until warm again. Freezing: Wrap any extra slices in aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the microwave or bake at 350 degrees until warm again. Nutrition: The info below is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Billy says
Deliciousness, so easy to make.
Lee says
SO glad...thank you!