Looking to switch up your homemade pizza? Try switching out the tomato sauce for this White Pizza Sauce! Prepared with lots of garlic, cream, and parmesan, you might want to skip the toppings completely!
The first time I tried “white pizza,” was at a work event. I can’t remember what we were celebrating. It was very common for us to have a potluck in the boardroom at lunch time whenever someone had a birthday or an anniversary. Maybe it was a retirement party. The reason doesn’t matter.
One of my best workmates and friends, Nadia, who happens to be Italian, told us that she was going to make white pizza and bring it to work. She’s very serious about her pizza! I had never heard of it before. But, it was absolutely delicious!
I remember the pizza being rather plain, meaning that there were no toppings like pepperoni or mushrooms, etc. The pizza had a great crust, this White Pizza Sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Correct me if I’m wrong, Nadia! Something so simple was so good. I remember taking a few extra slices on a napkin back to my office for later.
Years later, the company has relocated, some of the employees have moved on, and some employees have retired. Due to Covid, we have not all been in the same room for almost a year. I miss them all so much! They were like a second family. I’m going to eat white pizza and think back on all of the good times.
WHAT IS WHITE PIZZA SAUCE?
I think of White Pizza Sauce as a jacked up béchamel. Nadia called it White Pizza Sauce, but I’m sure you can use it for other dishes as well.
It’s a very thick and creamy sauce that starts with olive oil and garlic. Most really good recipes start that way, don’t they? Along with some seasonings, flour is cooked into the olive oil and garlic mixture. The flour is not cooked too long, because you don’t want it to brown. We want to keep this sauce bright white.
Next, cream is whisked into the flour mixture and heated until it all comes together into a thick sauce. Lastly, while the sauce is still hot, freshly grated parmesan cheese is stirred into the sauce until it’s melted.
Spread that garlicky, cheesy sauce onto prepared pizza dough. It’s unlike a pizza you’ve ever tasted before. Oh my God, it’s so deliciously addictive!
INGREDIENTS NEEDS TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
- Olive Oil – I always use light extra virgin olive oil, but any will do.
- Garlic – You will need 6 cloves of garlic. It’s a lot, I know, but trust me, this sauce can totally handle it!
- Italian Seasoning – Pizza sauce loves this seasoning blend. White Pizza Sauce is no different!
- All Purpose Flour – You will only need three tablespoons. I have not tested this sauce with anything but regular all-purpose flour.
- Cream – You can use milk, but you will need an additional tablespoon of flour, otherwise, the sauce will not thicken enough. Use what is referred to as table cream. It’s 18%.
- Parmesan Cheese – The cheese adds cheesy flavour as well as a little bit of saltiness.
HOW TO MAKE WHITE PIZZA SAUCE:
Add the olive oil and garlic to a skillet. Turn the heat to medium and cook the garlic and fragrant and slightly browned. This should take about five minutes. Browning the garlic is important, because it makes it sweet and more flavourful.
Once the garlic is cooked, add in the flour one tablespoon at a time. Use a whisk to incorporate the flour into the olive oil and garlic mixture. Continuously whisking once the flour is fully incorporated, watch the colour closely. You want to cook the flour, but not brown it. Once the last tablespoon of flour is added, do not cook longer than two minutes.
Next, add the cream and whisk continuously until the flour is fully incorporated. Add the Italian seasoning and parmesan. Continue to cook the sauce until it’s thick.
Remove from heat and pour sauce into a glass bowl or mason jar. This will stop the sauce from continuing to thicken. Cool and refrigerate for up to five days or use immediately!
MAKING A WHITE PIZZA
Once you’ve prepared your White Pizza Sauce, which is super easy, preparing a white pizza is every easier! Use your favourite pizza dough as a base. I have a pizza dough recipe that I use over and over again, because we love it. It’s quick, easy, and fool proof! You can find my dough recipe here.
Once your dough is ready, smear the White Pizza Sauce over top. I like to be a little liberal with the sauce. In essence, the sauce is the pizza, so really go for it!
Next, top the sauce with freshly sliced mozzarella cheese. Bake according to the instructions that accompanied your pizza dough recipe. For my recipe, it’s ten minutes at 500 degrees F. Once fully cooked, slice it up and serve it immediately. Sure, it’s delicious just the way it is, but I can’t eat pizza without dipping sauce. My favourite dipping sauce is my donair sauce. Yum!
White Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups cream, 18%
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and garlic to a skillet. Turn the heat to medium and cook the garlic and fragrant and slightly browned. This should take about five minutes. Browning the garlic is important, because it makes it sweet and more flavourful.
- Once the garlic is cooked, add in the flour one tablespoon at a time. Use a whisk to incorporate the flour into the olive oil and garlic mixture.
- Continuously whisking once the flour is fully incorporated, watch the colour closely. You want to cook the flour, but not brown it. Once the last tablespoon of flour is added, do not cook longer than two minutes.
- Next, add the cream and whisk continuously until the flour is fully incorporated.
- Add the Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese. Continue to cook the sauce until it’s thick.
- Remove from heat and pour sauce into a glass bowl or mason jar. This will stop the sauce from continuing to thicken. Cool and refrigerate for up to five days or use immediately!
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