Cheese pizza made with grated fontina and mozzarella, finished with fresh arugula tossed in a lemon–truffle oil vinaigrette.
About a year ago, Connor and I celebrated our successful apartment search in Chicago with a version of this lemon truffle arugula pizza. To mark that memory I wanted a fresh pizza recipe, and this one quickly became a favorite.
Traditionally I’m a red-sauce pizza person — my homemade margherita will always be a go-to — but this white cheese pizza is light and bright enough to win me over. The combination of fontina and low-moisture mozzarella creates a lush, melty base, while the arugula and lemon–truffle vinaigrette provide contrast and lift.
The base pizza is remarkably simple. Use a reliable one-hour pizza dough or a good-quality store-bought dough, dust your peel with semolina, and top the stretched dough with grated fontina and shredded low-moisture mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is golden, bubbling, and just beginning to caramelize.
The finishing touch transforms the pizza: a handful of fresh baby arugula lightly dressed with a vinaigrette made from fresh lemon juice and white truffle oil. Toss the arugula in the lemon–truffle dressing just before the pizza finishes baking so the heat wilts the leaves slightly. The lemon cuts through the richness of the cheese while the truffle oil adds an earthy, savory depth.
Each element is straightforward, but together they make a balanced, elegant pizza that’s perfect for a casual weeknight or a small gathering.
If you don’t make the pizza, at least make the arugula salad on its own. It’s excellent with burrata, grilled vegetables, asparagus, or as part of a charcuterie spread — an easy, elegant addition to summer meals.
But first: pizza.
Lemon Truffle Arugula Pizza
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Ingredients
Pizza Dough:
- 1 batch one-hour homemade pizza dough
- semolina flour for dusting the pizza peel
Toppings:
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- 6 ounces grated fontina cheese
- 4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese shredded
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons white truffle oil
- kosher salt
- 3½ packed cups (4 oz) baby arugula leaves
- fresh lemon zest for finishing
Instructions
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Note: Prepare one batch of one-hour pizza dough (or use good-quality store-bought dough) before starting the recipe below.
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Place a pizza steel or stone on the top third rack of your oven and preheat to 550°F (290°C) for one hour. If your oven doesn’t reach 550°F, preheat it to the maximum temperature available.
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Divide the dough into two equal portions. They may deflate slightly—that’s fine. Place the dough on a floured surface or plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
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Assemble the pizza: Dust a pizza peel with semolina. Gently stretch one dough ball into an 11–12-inch circle, leaving a slightly thicker edge and a very thin center. If the dough resists, let it rest 5–10 minutes. Transfer the stretched dough to the dusted peel.
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Brush or drizzle the dough, especially the edges, with olive oil. Evenly distribute half the fontina and half the mozzarella over the surface, leaving a ¾-inch border. Finish with several grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Slide the pizza onto the heated steel or stone and bake 6–9 minutes, until the cheese is caramelized and the crust is golden. If desired, finish briefly under the broiler—watch closely.
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Prepare the arugula topping: While the pizza bakes, whisk 1 tablespoon lemon juice with 1 tablespoon white truffle oil in a large bowl. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Just before the pizza is done, toss half the arugula in the dressing (reserve the rest for the second pizza).
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Remove the pizza from the oven with the peel, transfer to a cutting board, and top with the dressed arugula. Finish with a sprinkle of salt and freshly grated lemon zest. Serve immediately. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and toppings.