White Pizza with Bacon, Basil and Tomatoes

I am so excited to participate in a virtual baby shower for an amazing blog and real life friend today: Nicole of The Marvelous Misadventures of a Foodie! Kudos to Ari for the awesome idea.

Nicole was the first new friend I made upon our move to Arizona, and she is also the person responsible for introducing me to many of the friends I’ve made since. That alone gives you a glimpse of the caring, warm-hearted person she is. She is my book club co-founder, trusty rock jumping partner and so much more. We’ve often commented about how likeminded we are, and so when we found out we were both pregnant and just four weeks apart, it was all the more exciting to be able to share in the journey together. I can’t wait to meet her little boy or girl!

Knowing that Nicole is a huge fan of pizza (seriously, just check out some of her creations like Chicken Enchilada Pizza, Thai Chicken Pizza or Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Pizza, among many other delicious possibilities), I thought it would be fitting to make one that featured our shared love of goat cheese. Then it hit me: four cheese white pizza! Four cheeses, a pizza that incorporates the family name with a pun … what’s not to love? And so, a recipe was born.

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White Pizza with Bacon, Basil and Tomatoes

Yield: 8 to 10 slices

Ingredients

• 1 whole wheat pizza dough ball (homemade or store bought)
• 2 tablespoons truffle (or olive) oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 slices nitrate-free bacon, crumbled
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 3 ounces fresh pasteurized (for pregnant ladies) goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 6 to 8 basil leaves, thinly sliced
• Optional: Fig balsamic vinegar drizzle

Directions

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Roll out pizza dough ball on floured surface until desired thickness and shape are reached. I went with a rectangular shape and somewhere between 1/4- and 1/2-inch thick, as I like a doughy crust with my pizza. Transfer to baking sheet covered with floured parchment paper or Silpat.

Cook bacon according to package directions and allow to cool before crumbling. Combine oil and garlic in a small bowl, then brush over the top of pizza crust. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese, bacon, tomato, goat cheese, ricotta and Parmesan, layering one on top of the other.

Bake the pizza for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted and golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with basil. You can also stick the pizza back in the oven for a couple more minutes to wilt the basil leaves slightly.

Serve pizza topped with a drizzle of fig balsamic vinegar, if desired.

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I think my favorite part was watching the cheese transform. Oh how I love cheese.

The drizzle of fig balsamic added a whole new dimension of flavor. You could use any balsamic vinegar, but I am a big fan of how the fig blended with the rest of the ingredients.

I hope you enjoy this pizza, Nicole! Thanks for being the reason I posted a recipe for the first time in months. 🙂 Check out all of these other scrumptious-looking drink, brownie and pizza recipes from your other virtual baby shower guests!

Nicole’s Virtual Baby Shower Recipes

Boozy Red Velvet Hot Chocolate from Ari’s Menu
Boozy Iced Coffee from The Wanderlust Kitchen
Coconut Oil Brownies from Handle the Heat
Raspberry Lemonade Champagne Punch from Eat. Drink. Love.
Chocolate Cherry Brownies from Savvy Eats
Four Cheese Pizza with Sausage and Peppers from The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Crab Rangoon Pizza from Mollie’s Sprinkles of Life
Grapefruit Chia Seed Cocktail from Peace Love and Oats
White Pizza with Bacon, Basil & Tomatoes from Eating Bender

Can’t wait to try the boozy ones – won’t be long now! Nicole, I wish you a wonderful rest of your pregnancy and truly can’t wait to hear all about the moment when you meet your son or daughter for the very first time. He or she is very lucky to have you as a mom. Love you lots!

Abrazos,