9 degrees
Horse to Water, Tall Heights
I had a night off from the restaurant, so I asked my wife what she wanted to do for ‘date night.’
“I want to make pizza,” she replied ahead of a long pause. “Mushroom pizza. With goat cheese.”
My brain started buzzing with a recipe taking shape. “Tomato sauce or olive oil and garlic?” I asked. Garlic, we decided. “How about some spinach?” I offered. Yes to that.
“Balsamic drizzle when it comes out of the oven,” she concluded.
“I was thinking the exact same thing,” I said, always caught off guard by how perfect we are for each other.
So, in a collaborative effort, we present to you balsamic mushroom and goat cheese pizza with spinach for your date night enjoyment. Or whatever night enjoyment.
Balsamic Mushroom Goat Cheese Pizza with Spinach
Yields: 6 slices
- 1 pizza dough for a 12-inch pizza (I used the cast iron pizza dough recipe from The Alaska from Scratch Cookbook)
- For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- For the mushrooms:
- 3 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- For the toppings:
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
- 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- sprinkle of sea salt
- For finishing:
- 1 tablespoon good thick balsamic vinegar
Heat oven to 550 degrees. Prepare the dough for topping as instructed.
Brush the olive oil evenly onto the dough. Sprinkle with minced garlic.
To prepare the mushrooms:
Heat the olive oil and red pepper flakes in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to get hot, add the mushrooms. Leave them in the pan undisturbed until browned on one side, about 2 minutes, then flip and brown on the other side. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
To top the pizza:
Sprinkle on 2/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Evenly distribute the mushrooms and spinach. Sprinkle the other 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese followed by the crumbled goat cheese. Season the top of the pizza with sea salt.
Bake 13-15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Allow the pizza to cool 3 minutes before slicing. Slice into 6 slices. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Serve with more red pepper flakes (optional).
