roasted garlic + mushroom pizza

you guys. this pizza is TO DIE FOR. it is a labor of love, and while you can take some shortcuts to make the whole process go faster, I really recommend this for a date night or special occasion.

ingredients:
pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
extra virgin olive oil
1 head of garlic
1c ricotta cheese
2T pesto (homemade or store bought)
2T salted butter
2 sweet onions, sliced thinly
16 oz mushrooms (crimini, bella or white)
1/4c white wine (plus more for drinking *wink*)
fresh mozzarella cheese
feta cheese
salt + pepper
red pepper flakes
honey + fresh herbs (thyme, basil) for garnishing, optional

1. preheat your oven to 400*. cut the top off the head of garlic and cover with extra virgin olive oil. wrap in aluminum foil and place on a cookie sheet. roast for 30-45 minutes, until fragrant and pliable. once cooled, squeeze the head of garlic until the roasted cloves come out.
2. meanwhile, melt the butter over a skillet on medium low heat. add the thinly sliced onions and stir, occasionally until the onions caramelize – about 30+ minutes. remove them from the pan.
3. combine about 1c ricotta, 2T pesto and the roasted garlic cloves in a food processor. pulse until the mixture is combined and “fluffy”, about 2 minutes.
4. next come the mushrooms! add the mushrooms to the pan you used for the onions. if needed, add extra olive oil and/or butter. saute the mushrooms for about 5-10 minutes over medium heat. then, turn the heat up to high and add 1/4c white wine. simmer the mushrooms until the wine is evaporated, about 3-5 minutes.
5. preheat your oven to 450*. if you have a pizza stone, make sure it is in your oven!
6. place your pizza dough directly on your pizza stone. top the dough with the ricotta mixture, and layer on the caramelized onions. then, top with sliced mozzarella, mushrooms and feta cheese. sprinkle with black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste.
7. bake for 12 minutes or until the chreese is slightly browned. allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. top with a drizzle of honey, fresh herbs and extra red pepper flakes.

i served the pizza with homemade garlic knots and a simple lemon caesar salad, plus wine!

let me know if you end up making this pizza – it is SO good! i promise you won’t be disappointed 😉