Date Arugula Pizza

This one definitely gets some skeptical looks. Half the ingredients are really unusual for a pizza and not everyone is a fan. But if someone tells me they really loved a specific pizza afterward, it's always this one.

The bite starts with crunchy arugula and acidic vinegar, and then mellows to a thick sweet date with savory goat cheese.

Prep

• whole milk ricotta - mix some up and set out to warm
• 1 tbsp ish lemon juice (low temp oven)
• 5-6 large medjool dates - pitted, quartered
• red onion - sliced pole to pole (optionally quick pickled in balsamic or red wine vinegar)

Pre-bake Toppings (in order)

• ricotta
• lemon - squeezed over ricotta if using
• dates
• red onion

Post-bake Toppings (in order)

• arugula
• crumbled goat cheese
• reduced balsamic glaze
• a little black pepper

Notes

If you're making this in a lower (< 750 ºF) temperature oven, adding the lemon juice to the ricotta helps keep it from dehydrating due to the longer cook time.

You can make the balsamic glaze by reducing some balsamic vinegar, but no matter how tasty you think it'll smell, don't inhale the acid vapors. I prefer just buying balsamic glaze. It's just so much easier.