Spinach Artichoke Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 homemade or store bought pizza dough
• 8 oz fresh spinach, divided
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 oz provolone cheese
• 2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 oz finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 6 – 8 canned artichoke hearts, drained well and quartered, don't use marinated
• Red pepper flakes, for serving, optional

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Once the oven is hot, set the pizza stone inside and let it heat for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place the dough on a sheet of parchment paper and pull and press it into a 13-inch round, building the outer edge a little higher. Coat the dough with 1 Tbsp olive oil, then give the crust a light seasoning of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let the dough sit while the stone heats; if the dough has been chilled, bring it to room temperature before shaping it, then let it sit for the 20 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan, warm the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add 3/4 of the spinach and cook it only until it wilts. Move the spinach onto paper towels, then press gently to coax out some extra moisture. Chop it finely and set it aside.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and onion powder, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring the whole time. Still whisking, pour in the milk slowly, raise the heat to medium-high heat, and keep cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Take the pan off the heat, then mix in the minced garlic and the sautéed, chopped spinach. Chop the remaining fresh spinach; you should have about 1 1/2 cups chopped. Set it aside.
4. To put the pizza together, spread the spinach béchamel sauce, the white sauce, evenly over the crust, leaving the raised edge bare. Scatter the chopped fresh spinach over the sauce, then add the provolone, mozzarella, parmesan, and chopped artichokes. Slip a pizza peel under the parchment paper and carefully move the pizza onto the hot pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 10 – 13 minutes, until the crust turns golden brown. Slice it and serve warm, adding red pepper flakes to taste if you like.