This white sauce pizza starts with a creamy, garlic-scented bechamel and is topped with mozzarella, parmesan and milky dollops of ricotta cheese. Finish it with a simple arugula salad for freshness and a pop of flavor, or keep it simple with a pinch of red pepper flakes. Jazzed up or straight from the oven-- this white sauce pizza is elegant and packed with flavor. It’s a total crowd pleaser.

Use our artisan pizza dough for the best bubbles and a chewy, crispy, incredibly flavorful crust!

how to make white pizza with mozzarella, parmesan and ricotta

what is a white pizza?

At its core, white pizza is simply a pizza without tomato sauce. There’s a wide range of styles, from pizzas that are brushed with good olive oil and a sprinkling of herbs or cheese (like our garlic pizza) to those that are a bit more decadent. The latter, sometimes called white sauce pizza, is what we’re sharing today.

We go all in with a thick layer of garlic flavored bechamel to get the pizza started right. Then we use three cheeses: melty mozzarella, salty kick of parmesan, and creamy spoonfuls of ricotta, to hit all the right notes and take this pizza to the next level. You can add more toppings as desired (see a big list of ideas below!), but I love to keep it simple and elegant.

what you need to make a white pizza

pizza dough
butter
flour
garlic
milk
mozzarella
parmesan
ricotta

how to make white pizza sauce

Melt butter with garlic clove
Whisk in flour and cook a few minutes
Slowly whisk in milk, simmer until thickened
Season with salt and pepper
Use right away, or transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming

how to make a white sauce pizza

Make your favorite pizza dough
Make the white sauce (garlic bechamel)
Shape the pizza dough into a round
Spread it with the white sauce
Top with mozzarella, parmesan and dollops of ricotta
Bake until cheese is melted and crust is browned and crisp
Serve with a light arugula salad, dressed in olive oil and balsamic, if desired

more topping ideas for white sauce pizza

I love to keep this pizza super simple and elegant, but by all means-- add as many toppings as your heart desires! Here are some white pizza toppings that go really well together!

grilled or roast chopped chicken
spicy shrimp
torn prosciutto
crispy bacon
browned bits of pancetta
roasted garlic
roasted brussels sprouts
blanched broccoli florets
blanched or sautéed spinach
crispy sautéed mushrooms
cauliflower florets
blanched or sautéed kale
marinated artichoke hearts
oven roasted tomatoes
fresh or pickled jalapeños
drizzle of sichuan chili oil

what to drink with white sauce pizza:

I'm obsessed with pizza and beer. The contrast of hot cheesy pizza with the cold refreshing carbonation and bitterness of beer is one of my favorite combinations. It’s hard to go wrong with a beer pairing! And this white pizza recipe is especially flexible-- with the creamy white sauce and mild cheese, you're guaranteed to have a delicious meal.

Here a few styles that I feel would really enhance and play off of the white pizza:

A rich stout would complement the creamy white sauce and add rich cocoa and coffee notes. It’s a cozy pairing, perfect for cold weather. We really love the creaminess of oatmeal stouts.
A floral, bitter, ultra-fresh IPA is a fun exercise in contrast. It perfectly offsets the rich sauce and offers wonderful palate cleansing bitterness.
Belgian-style tripels (one of my favorite beer styles) go really well with this white sauce pizza. They have complex, yeasty flavors, high alcohol and a sweet finish that is a delicious contrast to the buttery white pizza sauce.

If you want to mix up a cocktail instead, try some of these!

vodka spiked lemonade

champagne cocktail

grand marnier grapefruit mimosa

what to serve with this white sauce pizza:

We love to serve this pizza with a fresh salad or vegetable side dish (like sautéed kale or roasted broccolini).

If you’re having a pizza party, try some of our favorite pizzas: morel pizza, fennel sausage pizza, artichoke pizza, calabrese pizza, hawaiian pizza, breakfast pizza, mushroom pizza, prosciutto pizza with arugula, pesto pizza recipe, black truffle pizza, burrata pizza, and this buttery garlic pizza.

white sauce pizza

white pizza recipe with mozzarella, parmesan and ricotta

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White sauce pizza is spread with a creamy garlic-scented white sauce and topped with mozzarella, parmesan and fresh ricotta. Add a pop of freshness with a simple arugula salad or serve it as is!

Author: Indi Hampton
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2 12-inch pizzas
Category: Pizza
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

garlic bechamel

3 tbsp salted butter
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 ½ cup whole milk
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

white pizza

1 recipe artisan pizza dough (two 15 oz dough balls)
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella, divided
1 cup shredded parmesan, divided
1 cup ricotta, divided
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 cups arugula
red chile flakes, for topping

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Instructions

garlic bechamel

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic clove and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring, as mixture bubbles, 2- 3 minutes. Gradually add milk, whisking after each addition, until all of the milk has been added. Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer, whisking to prevent scorching.
Season with ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper and cook, whisking often, until sauce is thick and has lost the raw flour taste, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Use warm, or transfer to a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.

Sauce can be made 3 days in advance. Gently reheat in the microwave or on the stove to loosen.