A note to myself, for the near future: premade pizza dough is the most glutenous thing on the planet. It is like trying to roll out a rubber band, with slightly less (and slightly less painful) elasticity. Holy moly, I spent what seemed like forever getting this stupid little doughball to succumb to the pressures of my rolling pin. I suppose that’s what I get for being too lazy to make my own dough. (It’s also far less time than I would have had to spend waiting for said dough to rise. So there’s that.)
I made this sort of as a snack/sort of as a dinner, for my family during a weekend home. I was craving pizza without all of the grease, and this ricotta-based version seemed like a good start. It even managed to please my picky parents, who normally steer clear of anything not breaded or doused in oil (maybe they were just hungry.)
I was a bit hesitant about the sweet potato–there is something strange about put a carb on a carb, I think–but I was pleasantly surprised to find the resulting flatbread deliciously varietal. You’ve got your sweet potato, in all it’s wondrous, beta-carotene glory, your spicy, leafy arugula and a creamy spread of ricotta and parmesan to add just the right amount of gooey-ness.
This is a perfect light meal for afternoon doldrums, when anything too heavy seems like a burden, but spending hours waiting for a meal would be far too much to bear. Let the snacking commence!
SWEET POTATO, RICOTTA AND ARUGULA FLATBREAD
(via The Kitchn)
1 pound pizza dough (pre- or painstakingly-made)
1 sweet potato
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup roquette arugula
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Use your hands to gently press the pizza dough into a large oval; use a rolling pin to smooth. Place on baking sheet.
Peel the sweet potato and slice it thinly. Toss the coins with a little olive oil in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the thyme into the ricotta. Spread the ricotta mixture across the top of the dough. Arrange the sweet potato coins in slightly overlapping layers on top. Sprinkle the entire surface with a little salt.
Bake for seven minutes and rotate the flatbread. Bake for another seven minutes until the edges of the bread are turning golden and the sweet potatoes are soft. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for one more minute.
Scatter the arugula on top of the flatbread as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let it stand for a few minutes before cutting for the arugula to wilt. Slice and serve either warm or room temperature.
