Copycat Tuscan Roma Pizza

We love pizza at our house. Who doesn't? (You. Put that hand down!) There are a ton of different pizzas out there. Don't like one? There's bound to be another out there which is perfect for you!

Right now, my perfect pizza is the Tuscan Roma from Pizza Ranch. Yummy alfredo, thinly-sliced tomatoes, and fresh baby spinach combine on a thin, cripy crust to make pure pizza bliss.

That said, I don't know anyone who has the time and money to be ordering pizza all the time. (Anyone else just think of that hilarious picture with the lady saying "Ain't nobody got time for that?") But that doesn't mean you have to deprive yourself of Tuscan Roma-y goodness!

No way, Jose.

It wasn't long before I decided I had to make my own copycat recipe. I'm no Julia Child, so it's pretty simple, but simply delicious!

I've never made my own crust before, so that's where I started. I ended up using this recipe, which calls for ingredients I already had on-hand, including Italian seasoning - which was totally a plus. The recipe has you bake the crust for a few minutes, add the sauce, bake a couple more minutes, then add the toppings and bake some more. 

I followed the instructions, using alfredo as my sauce. While the crust was baking, I shredded my whole-milk mozzarella, sliced my tomatoes, and pulled the stems off of my spinach. When the crust was ready, I added a thin layer of the shredded cheese, then the tomatoes, spinach, and the rest of the cheese. 

I baked until the crust was starting to brown, then took it out to cool on a wire rack per the crust instructions.

Here's the final result:

Isn't she beautiful?! Sure, the crust could have been a little more round, but a wiggly crust is just as delicious as a round one! This make a decent-sized pizza which I cut into fourths. This could easily have served two adults, especially if you had a side like veggies or a salad. 

I ate the whole thing. I couldn't help myself. It was soooo good! I didn't miss Pizza Ranch at all. The crust recipe makes enough for two of these, so I intend to make another when the hubby gets home... or maybe for lunch tomorrow since it's not his favorite... or maybe something slightly different like this Pizza Margherita from the Cupcake Diaries.

This recipe will be used again and again, for sure. I hope you enjoy it too!

Recipe:

For the dough: (From Fearless Homemaker - Link Here)
3/4 cups (6 ounces) of water
1/2 teaspoon of active-dry yeast (if using instant yeast, you don’t need to dissolve it during the first step)
2 cups (10 ounces, by weight) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt optional: 1/2 tsp italian seasoning (or any dried herbs of your choice) – I like to work herbs into the dough, but it’s wonderful without the herbs, too – your choice!

For the toppings:
1/4 cup of your favorite alfredo sauce (I just used Great Value brand)
4-6 oz whole milk mozzarella, shredded
1 medium tomato, sliced thinly
6-8 pieces of spinach (or however much you want/can fit)

Please go here to follow her wonderful instructions for the crust and baking in general. It's so easy, and so good. She really did a fabulous job.

With her crust and my toppings, you've got an absolutely delicious pizza on your hands! Enjoy!