Lemon Artichoke Arugula Pizza

Quick Summary

Lemon Artichoke Arugula Pizza- pizza topped with olive oil, garlic, mozzarella cheese, artichokes, arugula, and lemon! This pizza is bursting with flavor!

Pizza night is always a good idea. We love making pizza at home because we love playing around with toppings and flavors. One of my favorite pizza creations is this Lemon Artichoke Arugula Pizza. The flavors are SO fresh and delicious.

You can make homemade pizza dough or keep life simple by buying store-bought dough, no judgement here! This pizza doesn’t have a traditional pizza sauce, but don’t worry, it still has LOTS of flavor.

Top the pizza dough with olive oil, garlic, artichoke hearts, lemon zest, mozzarella cheese, and bake until golden. When the pizza comes out of the oven, you top it with arugula, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, and basil.

Every time I make this pizza, our friends and family devour it. It is always a favorite.

Pizza Ingredients

Pizza dough– you can use homemade or store bought. Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and other grocery stores sell fresh pizza dough that is ready to go.
Olive oil– this pizza doesn’t have a traditional red pizza sauce. Instead, we coat the pizza dough with olive oil.
Garlic– I use 8 cloves and I know that sounds like a lot, but the garlic is giving the pizza it’s flavor since there is no pizza sauce. If you really don’t like garlic, you can cut it down to 5 or 6 cloves, but I promise you want the garlic flavor for this pizza.
Mozzarella cheese– shredded mozzarella cheese is a staple for pizza!
Artichoke hearts– use jarred or canned quartered artichoke hearts. They can be packed in brine or water or marinated. Just make sure you drain them well and pat them dry with a clean towel so they don’t make the pizza soggy.
Lemon Zest– the lemon gives the pizza a refreshing flavor! Don’t skip it!
Arugula– after the pizza comes out of the oven, it gets topped with arugula! So fresh!
Parmesan cheese– use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, the good stuff!
Lemon Juice– squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the arugula!
Crushed red pepper flakes– for a little heat.
Sea salt– a little sea salt for sprinkling on top.
Fresh basil– for garnish.

pizza dough on pizza peel with olive oil and garlic.

How to Make

If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can cook the pizza on a baking sheet.
You can also make this pizza in a pizza oven. We love the Breville indoor pizza oven, it is so easy to use and makes wood fired pizza in just a couple of minutes. We also love the Ooni outdoor pizza oven. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions if you are using a pizza oven.
Make sure your dough is at room temperature before starting. Divide the pizza dough into 2 even pieces. This recipe makes two smaller pizzas.
On a lightly floured surface, start with one dough ball and use your fingers to gently press the dough into a circle. Gently stretch the dough into a 10 to 12-inch circle, being careful to not over stretch the dough.
Sprinkle a pizza peel lightly with flour. If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use the back of a rimmed baking sheet or a rimless baking sheet. Place the stretched dough on the peel or baking sheet.
Brush the olive oil evenly over the center of the dough and sprinkle evenly with garlic. Top the pizzas with shredded mozzarella cheese. Arrange the artichoke hearts on the pizzas and sprinkle with lemon zest.
Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the hot pizza stone. Bake for 12-14 minutes until edges and bottom of pizza are golden brown.
Remove from oven and top with arugula, Parmesan cheese, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes, and a little sea salt.
Garnish with basil, if using. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

lemon artichoke arugula pizza cut in slices with crushed red pepper flakes.

Side Dish Ideas

Pizza is good on it’s own, and this pizza basically has a salad on top, but if you want to serve a few dishes on the side, here are some ideas.

How to Store & Reheat

To Store: Let the pizza cool completely. Store leftover slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you know you are going to have leftovers, you can wait and add the arugula and garnishes until you are ready to eat.

To Reheat: We love reheating pizza in the air fryer for a crispier crust and perfectly melted cheese. You could also use a toaster oven or heat it up on the stovetop in a pan if you like a crisped crust!

lemon artichoke arugula pizza cut in slices with a pizza cutter.

More Pizza Recipes

Pizza

Pizza topped with olive oil, garlic, mozzarella cheese, artichokes, arugula, and lemon! This pizza is bursting with flavor!

1 lb pizza dough, at room temperature
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
14 ounces quartered artichoke hearts, drained and patted dry
Zest of 1 lemon
2 to 3 cups baby arugula
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
Sea salt, to taste
Fresh basil, for garnish, optional

If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can cook the pizza on a baking sheet.
Make sure your dough is at room temperature before starting. Divide the pizza dough into 2 even pieces. This recipe makes 2 smaller pizzas.
On a lightly floured surface, start with one dough ball and use your fingers to gently press the dough into a circle. Gently stretch the dough into a 10 to 12-inch circle, being careful to not over stretch the dough.
Sprinkle a pizza peel lightly with flour. If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use the back of a rimmed baking sheet or a rimless baking sheet. Place the stretched dough on the peel or baking sheet.
You are making 2 pizzas so divide the toppings between 2 pizzas. Brush the olive oil evenly over the center of the dough and sprinkle evenly with garlic. Top the pizzas with shredded mozzarella cheese. Arrange the artichoke hearts on the pizzas and sprinkle with lemon zest.
Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the hot pizza stone. Bake for 12-14 minutes until edges and bottom of pizza are golden brown.
Remove from oven and top with arugula, Parmesan cheese, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes, and a little sea salt. Garnish with basil, if using. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

You can use homemade pizza dough or store bought dough. Make sure the dough has risen and is at room temperature before starting.
Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Calories: 478kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 1249mg, Potassium: 93mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1247IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 363mg, Iron: 3mg