Garlic, Spinach & Bacon Pizza

 

There are just a few things in my life I get a "hankering" for - a good book, a nice Italian meal, a frosty mug of beer on a hot summer night and pizza.

I love pizza.

All kinds, all variations, but I'm especially partial to homemade pizza.  The kind where the crust is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, where the toppings are fresh and where a little love was put into it.  Ones where you top it with whatever is left in the fridge and needs to be used up. 

Ahem.

This pizza, where I had fresh garlic, spinach and bacon that was either going to die or get eaten.  A little greenery, a little piggy.

I use my classic pizza dough recipe - it never fails me.  Feel free to steal it and use it for yourself!  But the key to this pizza dough is placing it on a hot pizza stone, then dressing it {adding the toppings} and putting it back in the oven and finish off.

That process gives it the perfect crust.

For the toppings I sauteed 4 slices of turkey bacon in a bit of olive oil.  Once crispy, I tossed in two large handfuls of spinach and 3 minced garlic cloves.  Only a few minutes of cooking on medium heat, will wilt the spinach and combine the three.

Top the crust with a bit of pizza sauce {I used my homemade marinara}, then a bit of mozzarella cheese, the spinach/bacon mixture and more cheese.  Bake at 450 degrees on the hot pizza stone until crispy and golden, about 10 minutes.

Then promptly burn the roof of your mouth by not letting it cool.

That's what I did.

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What is your favorite unique pizza topping?