Meaty Arugula Pizzas

Aiden's spring basketball — his team is competitive. He scored sixteen points in a game and I yelled from the sideline with complete loss of composure. Coaching your own child's sport is an exercise in pretending you are calm when you are not. After the game, we got burgers. I grilled them at home because restaurant burgers cannot compete with Dada's burgers, per Aiden's assessment.

Sixteen points and a sideline dad who absolutely lost his composure — that called for something special from my kitchen, not a drive-through. I went with these Meaty Arugula Pizzas because they hit that same sweet spot as a great burger: hearty, a little bold, and finished with something fresh that makes it feel like you actually tried. Aiden gave them the same rating he gives my burgers, which, around here, is the highest honor there is.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 pre-made pizza crusts (12-inch), or 1 lb prepared pizza dough divided in half
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup pizza sauce or marinara
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups fresh arugula
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (optional, for topping)

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 425°F. If you have a pizza stone, place it on the center rack to preheat as well. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper if using a baking sheet.
Brown the meat. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and diced onion together, breaking the meat into small crumbles, about 6–8 minutes until no pink remains. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook 1 minute more. Drain any excess fat and set aside.
Build the pizzas. Spread each crust evenly with half the pizza sauce, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Divide the meat mixture evenly over both crusts. Top each with mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake. Transfer to the oven and bake 12–15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the crust edges are golden brown.
Dress the arugula. While the pizzas bake, toss the fresh arugula with olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Finish and serve. Remove the pizzas from the oven. Immediately pile the dressed arugula over the top of each pizza. Add sliced red onion if using. Slice and serve right away while the cheese is hot and the arugula is crisp.

Nutrition (per serving)

Meaty Arugula Pizzas — When Dada’s Cooking Beats Any Restaurant