Pizza with Pesto, Ricotta, and Mozzarella
By J. Kenji López-Alt, https://www.seriouseats.com/

Dollops of molten pesto, ricotta, and fresh mozzarella dot the surface of this pizza, creating a landscape of contrasting flavors.

Kenji's tip for keeping pesto green in color: "Blanching the leaves by dunking them in boiling water for just a few moments (about 15 to 30 seconds) will deactivate those pesky enzymes, helping your pesto to stay deep, bright green, even after days of storage and cooking."

When it comes to application and other toppings, I like to keep things sparse. Some folks like to spread the pesto around like a tomato sauce. I prefer applying in discrete spots to create some points of interest as you work your way through the pie.

Speaking of cheese, I'm going with a three-part mix. A bottom later of grated parmesan, followed by fresh mozzarella (di bufala if you're wearing your fancy pants), and dollops of ricotta. As the pie bakes, the mozzarella spreads out into a milky blanket, while the dollops of ricotta soften and the pesto spreads, touching and mingling with the ricotta in a way that would be considered inappropriate in some, more restrictive, societies.

If you're feeling extra feisty, you can always add more toppings if you desire. Pesto is a pretty strongly flavored sauce to begin with, and according to the pizza snob's approach to toppings, every topping must be more flavorful than the one that came before it. Thus for topping a pesto pie, you'd need to go with bold flavors like sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, capers, and olives.

1 recipe New York-style pizza dough or 36 ounces store-bought pizza dough

For Pesto:
Kosher salt
3 ounces fresh spinach leaves (about 4 loosely packed cups), tough stems removed
3 ounces fresh basil leaves (about 4 loosely packed cups/2 bunches)
1 minced garlic clove
3 ounces grated Parmigiano Reggiano
3 ounces toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon zest from 1 lemon

Toppings for Three Pizzas
3 ounces grated Parmigiano
12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into small chunks
12 ounces fresh ricotta cheese

At least 2 hours before baking, divide dough into 3 even parts, form into balls, place on a lightly floured surface, cover loosely with plastic wrap, place a towel on top of the plastic wrap to keep the edges pressed down, and allow balls to rise at room temperature.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Add spinach, basil, and garlic to boiling water and boil until leaves are just wilted, about 30 seconds. Transfer to ice bath and allow to chill completely. Transfer to the center of a clean kitchen towel. Gather up towel edges to form a bundle in the center. Squeeze until you've extracted as much liquid as possible.

Transfer greens to the work bowl of a food processor. Add 3 ounces of parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and lemon zest. Process until a smooth purée is formed. Season to taste with salt.

At least 30 minutes before ready to bake, adjust oven rack to top position and place a baking stone or steel on top. Preheat oven to highest setting (500 to 550°F, or 260°C to 290°C).

Working one pizza at a time, stretch or roll dough out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a lightly floured wooden pizza peel. Sprinkle surface evenly with 1 ounce of parmesan cheese. Dollop 4 ounces of mozzarella, 4 ounces of ricotta, and 1/3 of pesto over surface of pizza and sprinkle with salt. Transfer to pre-heated steel or stone and bake until blistered and bubbly, 4 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven, slice into 8 slices and serve. Repeat with remaining 2 pizzas.

Serves 4 to 6 servings, Makes 3 pizzas