Chicken Alfredo Pizza

We'd completely forgotten about this pizza. Forgotten that I used to make it and that it blew our minds every time we had it. Perplexing. How it could be that it was forgotten about, and somehow fell out of our usual rotation is beyond all of us. But thank goodness for one boy's redemptive memory and the ping of rememberance and wonder (and salivation) that then fell on us all when he started talking about Chicken Alfredo Pizza. That I happened to have all the ingredients on hand was purely providential. A nugget of a miracle, indeed.

Maybe you need a lunch or light dinner idea to serve alongside a green salad and iced tea this holiday weekend? Here you go, loves.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Pizza Dough

2 cup warm water (I use hot tap water that I can barely stand to hold my hand in)

3 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

5-6 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Pour warm water Into a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over top, and stir briefly with a fork to combine. Set aside to activate. Within a few minutes, yeast will rise and foam on the surface of the water.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 5 cups of flour and salt. Attach the dough hook, and stir to combine. Add yeast-water and olive oil. Knead until dough pulls cleanly from sides of mixing bowl, adding additional flour 1/4 cup at a time, if necessary.

Remove dough hook, sprinkle olive oil over the surface of the dough, and turn the dough in the bowl to completely coat all sides. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until double, 45 - 60 min.

Garlic-Basil Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt

fresh-cracked pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon dried basil

3 large cloves garlic, minced

Thinly slice chicken breasts against the grain and place in a shallow dish. Season with salt. In a small bowl, combine pepper, olive oil, basil, and garlic. Pour olive oil mixture over chicken, stirring to combine. Cover the dish and let mixture marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

In a skillet set to medium-high heat, quickly saute chicken until just cooked through. Set aside.

Alfredo Sauce - adapted from The New Best Recipe cookbook

1 2/3 cups heavy cream

5 tablespoons butter

Salt

1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly cracked pepper

To a 1 quart saucepan set over low heat, add butter, cut into chunks, and cream. Heat until butter is melted and cream has come to a bare simmer. Add the Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Continue cooking over very low heat, stirring gently to combine, until the sauce is slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza (makes two 14" pizzas)

One batch of Pizza Dough

2/3 cup Alfredo Sauce

4 cups shredded mozarella cheese (more if you like!)

Garlic-Basil Chicken

2-3 scallions, chopped

Preheat pizza stone in oven to 450 degrees. On a well-floured pizza peel, roll out half the pizza dough. With back of spoon or spatula, spread Alfredo sauce around dough, staying 1 1/2 inches from the edge. Sprinkle 2 cups mozarella cheese evenly over sauce. Rough-chop Garlic-Basil Chicken, and add evenly over cheese. Sprinkle scallions over chicken. Bake on a pizza stone in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven with your pizza peel and let rest for 5 minutes.