Italian Recipes - Deep-Dish Pizzas

Ingredients     

• Nonstick cooking spray

• 2 13.8-ounce packages refrigerated pizza dough (each for 1 crust)

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 1/2 cups sliced red onion

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained     

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• 1 1/4 cups shredded 4-cheese pizza blend (5 ounces)

• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

• 4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

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Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a 12-inch cast-iron or heavy oven-going skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Unroll one package of the pizza dough; gently pull into a circle.

2. Place dough in prepared skillet; press dough into bottom and halfway up side of skillet. Bake for 5 minutes; remove from oven. Dough will have puffed slightly.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add red onion and garlic; cook about 5 minutes or until tender. Add spinach, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Remove from heat; set aside.  

4. In a small bowl combine ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of the pizza cheese, the parsley, crushed red pepper, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spoon spinach mixture evenly over bottom of partially baked crust.

5. Spread ricotta mixture over spinach layer. Top with tomatoes; drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the remaining pizza cheese.

6. Unroll remaining pizza dough; shape into a 12-to 13-inch circle. Lay dough round on layers in skillet. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.

7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until top is golden brown. Top with remaining 1/4 cup pizza cheese. Bake for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.