I don’t know about you guys but we love Chicken Marsala in my household. My husband orders it quite often when we are out at restaurants. So when I spotted this recipe for Awesome Mushroom Marsala Pizza online, I knew I had to try it. Right away.
The recipe comes from a food blog called Vodka & Biscuits. And the results are amazing. It’s like two of our favorite foods got married …chicken marsala and pizza.
There’s no chicken on this but there could be next time, right? For now, we’re makin’ this one vegetarian. I’m so happy to share this with you.
Let’s start with what you’ll need to make the creamy cheese sauce.
- Butter
- Unbleached all-purpose flour
- Milk
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Italian blend shredded cheese
It is basically a béchamel sauce that is further thickened with lots of grated cheese. It is recommended that you use the Italian blend of cheese for its fullness of flavor but you can use whatever combination you prefer.
- Create a roux by melting the butter in a small sauce pan.
- Add the flour and mix until incorporated.
- Allow the mixture to cook for 1-2 minutes until the flour cooks out and you only smell butter.
- Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer.
- Continue to simmer until thickened, constantly whisking.
- Once thick, season with the salt and pepper.
- Add the cheese with a quick stir to be sure it is melted throughout.
- Taste and adjust as needed.
- Set aside and keep warm over low heat.
Once the sauce is done, shift the pan to a different burner over very low heat …just to keep it warm.
Let’s work on creating your Awesome Mushroom Marsala Pizza.
To keep the process simple and fast, I choose to use prepared pizza dough. If you are into making your own, go for it.
What you need…
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Baby Bella mushrooms
- Fresh thyme
- Garlic clove
- Vegetable broth or stock
- Marsala wine
- Prepared pizza dough
- Italian blend shredded cheese
- Red pepper flakes
- Aged balsamic vinegar
- Fresh basil
When prepping your mushrooms, cut them into small chunks. Not the normal slices that you typically would use for a pizza topping. The goal here is to create “morsels” of delicious mushrooms when they are done.
They will actually resemble bits of sausage when the pizza comes out of the oven. Don’t be fooled …this is a vegetarian pizza, all the way.
Preheat the oven to 425°F or whatever temperature your pizza dough recipe recommends.
- Heat the butter and 2 counts of olive oil in a medium saute pan.
- Add the mushrooms and cook 5-6 minutes until soft and brown.
- Add the garlic and thyme leaves.
- Cook until fragrant for about one minute.
- Add the stock and wine.
- Simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced enough to coat the mushrooms.
- The sauce will still be a bit loose.
- Taste for salt and pepper.
Once the mushrooms are cooked to perfection, you’re ready to build your Awesome Mushroom Marsala Pizza.
- Prepare the pizza dough by rolling into your desired shape and placing on a pizza pan.
- Since the toppings tend to be on the heavy side, the dough shouldn’t be rolled too thin.
- Top with the cheese sauce, leaving a 1″ gap from the crust.
- Evenly spoon over the mushrooms and pan sauce.
- Top with the shredded cheese.
- Bake until golden brown for about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Before serving, sprinkle with (optional) red pepper flakes for heat.
- Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and fresh basil.
It’s hard to say exactly how long it should bake since it all depends on how thick your crust happens to be. And how large of a ball of dough you start with.
What you see here is about a 12″ round.
Keep an eye on yours and you’ll know it’s ready when the edges are golden brown.
This pizza is delicious served as an appetizer when baked in a rectangular pan and cut into squares.
And remember… before serving, sprinkle the pizza with a pinch of red pepper flakes (totally optional, of course) and a splash of good aged balsamic vinegar.
And, fresh basil is mandatory.
awesome mushroom marsala pizza
Based on a recipe from Vodka & Biscuits
Ingredients
Cheese Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese (4 ounces)
Mushroom Pizza
- 1 tablespoon butter
- olive oil, as needed
- 16 ounces small baby bella mushrooms, quartered
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme, leaves removed
- 1 garlic clove, grated or minced
- 3/4 cup vegetable stock or broth
- 3/4 cup Marsala wine
- 1 ball prepared pizza dough
- 1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese (4 ounces)
- pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- aged balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
- chopped fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
Cheese Sauce
-
Create a roux by melting the butter in a small sauce pan. Add the flour and mix until incorporated. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes until the flour cooks out and you only smell butter. Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer until thickened, continuously whisking. Once thick, season with the salt and pepper, then stir in the cheese. Taste and adjust as needed. Set aside and keep warm over low heat.
Mushroom Pizza
-
Preheat the oven to 425°F or whatever temperature your pizza dough recipe recommends.
-
Heat the butter and 2 counts of olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the mushrooms and cook 5-6 minutes until soft and brown. Add the garlic and thyme leaves and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the stock and wine. Simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced enough to coat the mushrooms, however still a bit loose. Taste for salt and pepper.
-
Prepare the pizza dough by rolling into your desired shape and placing on a pizza pan. Top with the cheese sauce, leaving a 1" gap from the crust, then evenly spoon over the mushrooms and pan sauce. Top with the shredded cheese and bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
-
Before serving, sprinkle with (optional) red pepper flakes for heat. If desired, add a splash of balsamic vinegar and fresh basil.
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For the pizza enthusiasts…
