Ina Garten Brussels Sprouts Pizza Carbonara

Ina Garten Brussels sprouts pizza carbonara is an easy individual pizza made with creamy ricotta béchamel, salty pancetta and shaved Brussels sprouts, ready in 1 hour 10 minutes. Try this easy weeknight dinner for a dinner party or a cozy Friday night, since it bakes on a sheet pan and everyone gets their own.

Cook the béchamel until it leaves a trail on the back of your spoon, because that thickness keeps it from running off the dough. Stir it too thin and the ricotta sauce soaks into the crust, which turns soggy.

Ina Garten found her inspiration at Marta, Danny Meyer's Roman-style trattoria in New York City, where the shaved Brussels sprouts pizza stuck with her. She turned it into individual pizzas with pancetta and a carbonara-style sauce of ricotta and egg yolks.

Source: Modern Comfort Food (2020)

Ina Garten Brussels Sprouts Pizza Carbonara

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Course: DinnerCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

780

kcal

Thin shaved sprouts crisp at the edges while the ricotta béchamel stays creamy under the pancetta and cheese. Baking on an upside-down sheet pan browns the bottom crust all the way through.

Ingredients

• for the béchamel::
  

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  

• 1 cup whole milk ricotta (9 ounces)
  

• 2 extra-large egg yolks
  

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

• Good olive oil
  

• 8 ounces pancetta, 1/8-inch diced
  

• to assemble the pizzas::
  

• 4 (8-ounce) balls store-bought pizza dough
  

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese
  

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Italian Pecorino cheese
  

• 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced (see note)
  

Directions

• Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees and arrange two racks evenly spaced inside. Two racks let you bake two pizzas at once.
• Make the béchamel: Bring 1 1/2 cups whole milk to a simmer in a small saucepan, then melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking almost constantly.
• Thicken the sauce: Whisk in the hot milk, switch to a wooden spoon and simmer, stirring constantly, for 2 to 5 minutes. Once it leaves a trail down the back of the spoon, cook for one more minute.
• Finish the béchamel: Off the heat, stir in 1 cup ricotta, 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set it aside while you cook the pancetta.
• Cook the pancetta: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 10 to 11-inch sauté pan, then add 8 ounces diced pancetta. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until half-cooked, then drain it on paper towels.
• Shape the dough: Flip over two sheet pans and cover each with a 12 x 18-inch piece of parchment paper. Roll and stretch 2 of the 4 pizza dough balls into 9 or 10-inch circles on the parchment, and don't worry about making them great.
• Top the pizzas: Leaving a 1-inch border, spread 1/2 cup béchamel on each pizza, then sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons Parmesan, 2 tablespoons Pecorino and a quarter of the pancetta. Toss 12 ounces sliced Brussels sprouts with 3 tablespoons olive oil and scatter half over the two pizzas.
• Bake and slice: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned, including the bottom. Cut each pizza into 6 wedges with a large chef's knife and serve hot, then repeat with the remaining two pizzas.

Tools for this recipe

• Nordic Ware half sheet pan, Reynolds unbleached parchment paper, Cuisinart 14-cup food processor, Parmigiano Reggiano wedges, aged 24 months. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

What is the easiest way to slice the Brussels sprouts?

A food processor with the slicing disk does it fastest: trim the sprouts, then feed them through the tube. You get thin, even shreds in about a minute, and they crisp up nicely in the oven.

Can I make the béchamel ahead of time?

Yes, the sauce can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Let it come back to room temperature before you spread it, because cold ricotta béchamel is stiff and tears the dough.

Can I swap the pancetta for something else?

Diced bacon works the same way, though it brings a smokier flavor, so cook it until half-done just like the pancetta. For a vegetarian pizza, leave it out and add a little more Pecorino for the salty bite.

Do I have to bake on an upside-down sheet pan?

Flipping the pan gives you a flat, hot surface with no rim in the way, so the pizza slides on and off easily. It also helps the bottom crust brown, which is what you want here.

What is the most common mistake with this pizza?

Overloading the dough with sauce or sprouts is the usual problem, since a heavy topping steams the crust instead of crisping it. Keep the 1-inch border and stick to the amounts in the recipe.