Spinach and Pancetta Thin Crust Pizza

This delicious thin crust pizza is topped with baby spinach, thinly sliced pancetta and mozzarella cheese that is spread over a fresh pesto base. A simple to make pizza recipe that is great for quick weeknight dinners.

After seeing the response ya’ll had to my Homemade Pizza Dough recipe I thought that I would show you another great idea for topping it off!

There are so many great ways to customize a pizza to your tastes and likes, and for my family, this is one of our favorites! I mean really who DOESN’T love pancetta incorporated into their dinner?? And to top it all off, we added in some spinach and yummy melting mozzarella cheese too…I know, I know, you are drooling and ready to get going right?

First Published: July 2016 Last Updated: April 24, 2020

Let’s have fun

Before I get into the recipe though, there are few things that you need to know when making a pizza at home. First of all, be creative, every single time!

Make it your own and have fun! It is really a great meal to get the kiddos involved in too, they will love rolling out the dough and topping it with their own veggies, meat and cheeses. Set out bowls with predetermined toppings and have them lined up on the table so they can dig in and create. Let them have fun and encourage them to build a healthy meal at the same time!

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Must haves

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You are going to need some key tools and ingredients in your kitchen at all times if you plan on making pizza!

My 3 essentials are:

1. A good Pizza Stone, you must have this for making pizzas…it really does make the difference between a good pizza and a GREAT pizza! The key to using your stone is to always leave it in your oven as this will help to season it(we keep ours foiled when not in use so it doesn’t get stained from other dishes we cook during the week). When you are ready to make your pizza you just uncover it and turn the oven on to preheat with it inside, this prevents it from cracking and makes sure it is really hot before your dough goes on…which gives you a delicious crust every time!
2. A Pizza Peel, yep this is another mandatory for making your pizza. And I know you are thinking, “But aren’t those things like 4 feet long?! Where will I fit it?!” well let me tell you that no they are not all that big! We have the perfect size wooden pizza peel that fits into the same cupboard as our cutting boards!
3. Corn Meal. I cannot stress to you enough how MANDATORY this ingredient is for making your pizza! If you love the crunchy texture that your delivery pizzas have, this is your secret ingredient…and trust me it makes a major difference! When stretching out your dough you combine corn meal with a little bit of flour and work right on top. You also sprinkle a light amount on your pizza stone right before plopping your pizza on! I promise you, this is the one step you do not want to skip!

Okay, one more thing before the recipe! For this pizza I used a pesto base, I found it really went with the flavor combination I was working with. Now, if your family prefers red sauce, by all means use that instead!

For my pesto I used Epicures Lemon Dilly Aioli seasoning mix (sells for about $7 and lasts forever!) we actually use it on fish, chicken and veggies when getting them ready for the grill too! All I did was take 2 tbsp of the mix and whisk it with 1/4c olive oil and 1tsp lemon juice, I then used a silicone brush to spread it on the base of my dough before adding my toppings.

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And that friends is your newest recipe to add to your pizza collection! Be sure to check out my Kale Pizza for more inspiration!