Antipasto Pizza with Arugula Salad

Serves 4

Pan IconWHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: This pizza turns bistro fare into an easy weeknight option for the home cook. A topping combining prosciutto, salami, roasted red peppers, and olives offers big flavor without requiring any precooking. Pesto (we use prepared pesto from the supermarket refrigerated section to save time) and pepperoncini lend brightness, while fresh mozzarella adds the right cheesy appeal with an upscale feel. We parcook the dough in a skillet while the oven preheats, which keeps things moving and ensures our crust will stay crisp under the toppings. Once the topped pizza is cooked, we add some lightly dressed arugula for a fresh finish, serving extra arugula salad on the side to make it a complete meal.

¾

cup pepperoncini, stemmed and sliced into rings

½

cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

6

tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1

pound pizza dough

6

tablespoons basil pesto

8

ounces fresh mozzarella, quartered, sliced ¼ inch thick, and patted dry with paper towels

2

ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into ½-inch pieces

2

ounces thinly sliced salami, cut into ½-inch pieces

½

cup jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed, patted dry, and chopped

5

ounces (5 cups) baby arugula

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine pepperoncini, olives, and 2 tablespoons oil in large bowl and set aside.

2. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. On lightly floured counter, roll each piece of dough into 10-inch circle. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1 dough round to skillet, reduce heat to medium, and cook until golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to wire rack and repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining dough.

3. Spread 3 tablespoons pesto over each crust, then top evenly with mozzarella, followed by prosciutto, salami, roasted red peppers, and half of olive mixture. Transfer pizzas to preheated baking sheet and bake until dough is cooked through and mozzarella is melted, 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, add arugula to bowl with remaining olive mixture and toss to coat. Top each pizza with 1 cup arugula mixture, slice, and serve with remaining arugula on side.