Christmas Recipe 'White Four-Cheese Pizza with Basil and Garlic'

Pizza without tomatoes? Sure—especially at a party where you don’t want guests dripping tomato sauce down their fronts. Prepared pizza dough, fresh or frozen, is now available at many supermarkets. Use it to streamline the baking of an all-white pizza that goes great with drinks.

Makes 24 pieces; 6 to 8 servings
Make Ahead: The pizza can be made up to 4 hours ahead.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
One 16-ounce package fresh or thawed frozen pizza dough
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 1⁄4 inch thick and coarsely chopped
3 ounces rindless goat cheese, crumbled
1⁄2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons thinly shredded fresh basil

Preparation:
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Lightly oil a 13 × 9-inch metal baking pan. Mix the oil and garlic together in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Roll out the dough on a very lightly floured work surface into a 14 × 10-inch rectangle. Fit into the pan. Top with the mozzarella, goat cheese, ricotta, and Parmesan, leaving a 1 ⁄2-inch-wide border around the sides. Brush with some of the garlic oil, but leave the garlic solids in the bowl.

3. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. During the last 3 minutes, spoon the remaining garlic and oil over the pizza. Remove from the oven and let stand for 3 minutes. (If making the pizza ahead, store at room temperature. Reheat in a preheated 350°F oven until hot, about 10 minutes.)

4. Cut crosswise into 6 strips, then lengthwise into 4 pieces to make 24 pieces total. Sprinkle with the basil. Transfer to a platter and serve hot.

This recipe was published in 'Christmas 101 - p19'.