The pizza with potatoes, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and raspadura flakes is a rustic, rich, and substantial leavened dish, a unique and complete meal perfect for lunch or dinner.
I love pizza and could eat it every day, even for breakfast. It’s always on my table at least two days a week for lunch or dinner, for the kids’ home and school snack, or for a work lunch break. Pizza is a meal always appreciated by many, whether simple or topped in various ways to suit your tastes.
When you have the chance to make pizza at home and want to do something different, besides the classic margherita with tomato and mozzarella, top it like I do. I used fridge leftovers: mashed potatoes, spinach tufts, cherry tomatoes, freshly grated grana, and raspadura flakes, a cheese with very thin, delicate slices that melt in your mouth.
The freshly grated grana and the raspadura flakes from the company Lodigrana Bella Lodi, are produced by a traditional dairy over 100 years old, located in a town in the Parco Adda Sud.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for the Pizza with Potatoes, Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, and Flakes
- 2 cups re-milled semolina
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh yeast
- 3/4 cup mashed potatoes
- 7 oz boiled spinach
- 4 cherry tomatoes
- to taste freshly grated cheese (Bella Lodi or grana)
- to taste raspadura flakes (Bella Lodi cheese)
- to taste olive oil
Tools
- Bowl
- Baking Tray
- Oven
Preparation for the Pizza with Potatoes, Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, and Flakes
In a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the fresh yeast with water and oil. Gradually add the flour while continuously stirring. Add the salt, knead, and work the dough well until it is compact and elastic. Use more flour if necessary. If the dough becomes quite compact as you add flour, add less.
The grams vary based on the brand and humidity of the flour.Take the dough and knead it by hand for a few minutes, shape it into a ball, and let it rise covered for at least 3/4 hours. It depends on the room temperature; if it’s warm, it may rise sooner.
My advice to avoid adding too much yeast: knead in the morning to bake in the evening, or from the night before, storing the dough in the fridge (then take it out in the morning and let it rise); this way, you can reduce the yeast to 1 gram, making the dough much more digestible.
When the dough is sufficiently risen, spread it on an oiled baking tray. For a soft and thick dough, use a small tray; otherwise, use a larger one for a thinner, crispier dough. The choice is yours.
Now top the pizza: spread the mashed potatoes on the base, sprinkle with grated grana, arrange the cooked spinach and sliced cherry tomatoes, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and let it rise again for about 30/45 minutes.
Bake the pizza in a preheated oven at 482°F (250°C) for about 15 minutes on the lowest oven rack, then move it to the top rack and continue baking for another 7/10 minutes until golden. Adjust according to your oven’s power.
Remove the pizza with potatoes, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and flakes from the oven, finish by adding the thin raspadura flakes. Serve hot and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
You can top the pizza with different ingredients according to your tastes. If you don’t have mashed potatoes, don’t add them!
For other leavened recipes, focaccias, and pizzas click here!
