Description
Delight in these crispy, golden pizza frittas topped with tender griddled courgette ribbons, creamy ricotta, fresh mint, and a zingy touch of lemon zest and chilli. Perfectly pan-fried and topped with toasted pine nuts, these Italian-inspired fried pizzas deliver a fresh, vibrant, and satisfying meal that’s quick to prepare and bursting with Mediterranean flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Pizza Dough
- 450g strong white bread flour
- 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 300ml warm water
- Olive oil, for proving and frying
- Semolina or polenta, for dusting
Toppings
- 2 large courgettes
- 50g pine nuts
- 500g ricotta
- Small bunch of mint, leaves picked
- 1 lemon, zested
- Pinch of chilli flakes
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, and warm water to form a scrappy, wet dough. Knead on a work surface for a few minutes until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Lightly oil the bowl, return the dough to it, cover with a clean tea towel, and leave to rise until doubled in size (about 2 hours) or refrigerate overnight.
- Shape the Bases: If refrigerated, allow dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Dust a work surface with semolina and divide the dough into four balls. Roll or stretch each ball into an 18cm diameter pizza base, place each on baking parchment squares, then leave to rise for 20-30 minutes.
- Grill the Courgettes: Use a vegetable peeler to slice courgettes into long ribbons. Toss the ribbons with a drizzle of olive oil. Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot, then cook the courgette ribbons for 1-2 minutes per side until tender with char marks. Set aside.
- Toast Pine Nuts: In a dry frying pan over low heat, toast pine nuts until golden and fragrant. Remove and set aside.
- Fry the Pizza Bases: Pour olive oil into a high-sided frying pan to cover the base and heat on low-medium. Carefully slide in one pizza base and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden and puffed. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove and place on a serving plate or board.
- Assemble and Serve: Spread ¼ of the ricotta over the warm fried pizza base, leaving a border around the edges. Top with ¼ of the grilled courgette ribbons, toasted pine nuts, mint leaves, lemon zest, and a pinch of chilli flakes. Season with sea salt flakes and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately and repeat with remaining bases and toppings.
Notes
- You can prepare the dough up to a day in advance to develop flavor.
- Using baking parchment makes it easier to transfer dough into the hot oil without tearing.
- Adjust the chilli flakes to your heat preference.
- Keep the pizza fritta warm by covering loosely with foil if cooking in batches.
- For a nut-free version, omit pine nuts or substitute with toasted seeds.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 2 hours rising or overnight refrigeration)
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: pizza fritta, fried pizza, courgette pizza, ricotta pizza, Italian fried bread, pine nuts, mint, lemon zest, chilli flakes
