5 out-of-the-box recipes to make any night pizza night

There's never been a better time to be a pizza lover.

Twin Cities restaurants have pizza styles to suit every taste — thin crust, thick crust, deep dish, wood-fired; red sauce, white sauce or no sauce; Detroit-style, New York-style and everywhere in between.

But home cooks can be just as creative. For those weeks when time is plentiful, make the pizza crust dough from scratch, and freeze the extras to have on hand when time isn't as kind. On busy weeknights, or lazy Sunday afternoons, store-bought dough or premade crusts, naan, tortillas, puff pastry, pitas and French bread can all provide a quick, easy base for an array of toppings.

On the topic of toppings, while any combination of pepperoni, sausage, vegetables and cheese rarely disappoints, you're doing your taste buds a disservice by limiting your pizzas to the tried-and-true. Two new cookbooks — "The Big Book of Pizza" from the Food Network and "Pizza Night" by Deborah Kaloper — can pave the way for flavorful pies and help raise your pizza profile.

Learn how to make several types of crusts, from Neapolitan to deep dish, and what tools to have on hand. Discover how to experiment with different cheeses and sauces to elevate your pies to showstopper status. Embrace toppings like squash and refried beans, and maybe even anchovies (or maybe not).

Here's a sampling of recipes from these books. Warning: You'll want to make every night pizza night.

Makes 1 (9 1/2-inch) pizza.

Note: This tapenade recipe will make about 2/3 cup; leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. From "Pizza Night: 60+ Recipes for Date Nights, Lazy Nights, and Party Nights" by Deborah Kaloper (Smith Street Books, 2023).

For the pizza:

• 5 1/2 oz. butternut squash, peeled and diced into 3/4-in. pieces

• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 (8-oz.) Neapolitan pizza dough ball (see recipe below)

• 1/4 c. San Marzano tomato sauce (see recipe below)

• 2 oz. buffalo mozzarella, torn

• 4 to 6 sage leaves

• 1 oz. goat cheese

• Small handful of arugula

• 1 tsp. pine nuts, toasted extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

For the olive tapenade:

• 1 c. kalamata olives, pitted

• 1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 to 3 anchovy fillets in oil

• 5 to 6 basil leaves

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 tbsp. capers, rinsed and drained

• 1 tsp. sherry vinegar

• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Large handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped

Directions

Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the cold oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees in a convection oven (425 degrees conventional).

To make the olive tapenade, place the olives, olive oil, anchovies, basil, garlic, capers, vinegar, red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper in the small bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the parsley and stir thoroughly. Taste and season with a little more red pepper flakes or a pinch of salt, if desired.

On a baking sheet, toss the squash in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 6 minutes, then turn the squash over and roast another 6 to 8 minutes, until cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly.

Increase the oven to its highest temperature and preheat for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the dough. Use your hands to press, pat and stretch the dough ball out to form a 9 1/2-inch circle. Spread the tomato sauce over the dough and top with the mozzarella, sage and roasted squash.

Carefully transfer the pizza to the hot pizza stone and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is golden and cooked through, and the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Crumble the goat's cheese over the cooked pizza and top with the arugula and toasted pine nuts. To serve, finish with a little olive oil, pepper and a drizzle of the olive tapenade.

Serves 4.

Ricotta is rich and creamy, but it can be a bit bland. Season it with salt and pepper to bring out the flavor. Shallots are milder and slightly sweeter than regular onions. They make for a great raw pizza topping. From "The Big Book of Pizza," by Maile Carpenter and the editors of Food Network Magazine (Hearst Home, $25).

• 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 lb. pizza dough, at room temperature (homemade or store-bought)

• 1/2 c. ricotta cheese

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

• 2 oz. Cambozola (rind removed) or Gorgonzola cheese, cut into ¼-in. pieces

• 2/3 c. red seedless grapes, halved

• 2 links hot Italian sausage (about 6 oz.), casings removed, broken into marble-size pieces

• 1/2 small shallot, thinly sliced and separated into rings

• 1 tbsp. honey

• 1 c. baby arugula

Directions

Put a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper on another inverted baking sheet and brush with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Stretch and lightly pat the pizza dough into a 10- by 14-inch rectangle on the parchment. Pierce the dough with a fork everywhere but the edges. Brush with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Slide the dough (on the parchment) onto the hot stone and bake until lightly browned on the bottom, about 8 minutes.

Season the ricotta with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Remove the crust from the oven and spread the ricotta on top. Sprinkle with the thyme and top with the Cambozola, grapes and sausage. Slide back onto the hot stone and continue baking until the sausage is cooked through and the crust is golden, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and immediately scatter the shallot rings on top. Drizzle with the honey and top with the arugula.

Serves 4.

Try this recipe now as local cabbage is still at its peak, and be sure to resurface it in March for a fun take on the St. Patrick's Day classic. No need to peel the potatoes for this pizza. Yukon Gold potato skins are very thin. You can use leftover corned beef or buy thick-cut corned beef from the deli counter and chop it up. From "The Big Book of Pizza," by Maile Carpenter and the editors of Food Network Magazine (Hearst Home, $25).

• 1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes (2 to 4), very thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 4 c. very thinly sliced green cabbage (from about 1/4 head)

• All-purpose flour, for dusting

• 1 lb. pizza dough, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature (or use store-bought)

• 1 c. shredded white cheddar cheese

• 1 1/2 c. shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese

• 4 oz. cooked corned beef, chopped

• Chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Toss the sliced potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Spread out on the pans and bake until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the potatoes to a plate. Put new parchment paper on the baking sheets.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Press each piece of pizza dough into a small round, then use a rolling pin to roll each into an 8-inch round. Put 2 dough rounds on each baking sheet. Scatter the cheddar to the edge of each piece of dough. Top with a layer of potatoes, then top with the mozzarella, cabbage and corned beef.

Bake the pizzas until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly, 10 to 12 minutes. Top with parsley and Parmesan.

Makes 1 (9 1/2-inch) pizza.

Note: The recipe calls for shortcut bacon, or back bacon, the leanest cut of bacon that is the perfect combination of pork belly and pork loin and popular in British cooking. If you can't find it, use the bacon of your choice, the leaner the better. From "Pizza Night: 60+ Recipes for Date Nights, Lazy Nights, and Party Nights" by Deborah Kaloper (Smith Street Books, 2023).

• 2 pieces (2 1/4 oz.) shortcut bacon, sliced into (1-in.) strips (see Note)

• 2/3 c. baby spinach leaves

• 1 (8-oz.) Neapolitan pizza dough ball (see recipe below)

• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 oz. fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella, torn

• Handful of Gruyère, grated

• 1 egg

• Freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmesan, for serving

• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the cold oven. Set the oven to its highest temperature and preheat for 1 hour.

Place a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry for about 2 minutes, until lightly rendered, then remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Add the spinach to the pan and wilt in the bacon fat for just a minute, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Use your hands to press, pat and stretch the dough ball out to form a 9 1/2-inch circle. Lightly brush the olive oil over the dough and top with the fior di latte or mozzarella. Evenly distribute the bacon and spinach over the base, top with the Gruyère, then crack the egg into the center of the pizza.

Carefully transfer the pizza to the hot pizza stone and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is golden and cooked through, the cheese is melted and bubbling, and the egg is cooked through.

Top with the Grana Padano or Parmesan and season with salt and pepper before serving.

Serves 4 to 6.

From "The Big Book of Pizza," by Maile Carpenter and the editors of Food Network Magazine (Hearst Home, $25).

• 1 lb. pizza dough, at room temperature (store-bought or homemade)

• All-purpose flour, for sprinkling

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

• 3/4 c. canned refried black beans

• 1/2 c. salsa

• 1 1/2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

• 3 scallions, finely chopped

• 1/4 c. sliced pickled jalapeños

• 1/4 c. sour cream

• Juice of 1 lime

• Thinly sliced romaine lettuce, for topping

• Diced tomato, for topping

• Kosher salt

• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro

Directions

Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven; preheat to 450 degrees.

Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured work surface into an 11-inch round. Transfer to a parchment-covered pizza peel or another inverted baking sheet.

Brush the dough with olive oil, then spread the refried beans on top, leaving a ½-inch border. Spoon the salsa over the beans and sprinkle with the cheese. Scatter the scallions and jalapeños on top. Slide the pizza (on the parchment) onto the hot stone and bake until the crust is crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool a few minutes.

While the pizza is baking, combine the sour cream, half of the lime juice and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. In another bowl, toss the lettuce, tomato and lime juice to taste; season with salt.

Top the pizza with the salad, then drizzle with the sour cream mixture and sprinkle with the cilantro.

Makes dough for 4 (9 1/2-in.) pizzas.

Note: This is a high hydration dough, so it is wet and sticky compared with a drier bread dough. Depending on room temperature, proofing can take up to 4 hours. Do not use a rolling pin to shape your pizza dough, as this will deflate it. From "Pizza Night" by Deborah Kaloper (Smith Street Books, 2023).

• 500 g (1 lb. 2 oz.) 00 pizza flour or bread flour, plus extra if needed and for dusting

• 2 tsp. sugar

• 1 3/4 tsp. fine sea salt

• 1 tsp. instant dried yeast

• 11 oz. lukewarm water

• 3 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing

Directions

To use a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the water and olive oil. Turn the mixer to low speed, slowly add the water and oil and mix for 2 to 3 minutes, until the dough forms a rough ball. Rest the dough for 1 minute, then mix for another 1 to 2 minutes, until a smooth ball forms. If the dough seems too wet and sticky (see Note), add another tablespoon of flour and mix for an additional 1 minute to combine.

To mix the dough using your hands, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, then use your hands to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients together. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes, until a soft, smooth dough forms, and shape into a ball.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly and allow it to rest in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size (see Note).

Divide the dough into four equal portions. Using your hands, shape each portion into a ball and place on a lightly oiled tray, then cover and allow to rise for at least 3 to 4 hours, until doubled in size.

Alternatively, for a slow rise that will increase the flavor of the dough, follow the instructions above, but place the portions of dough in individual lightly oiled airtight containers, with room to rise. Seal and refrigerate overnight, or up to 3 days. Allow the dough to rise for 4 to 6 hours, until doubled in size.

To shape the dough, sprinkle a work surface with flour, place a dough ball on top and lightly dust with a little more flour. Place your hands in the center of the ball and push and stretch the dough out to a 9 1/2-inch circle. Take care to not deflate the air bubbles in the outer 1/2- to 3/4-inch edge; it will create a beautifully aerated crust. Top and cook as directed.

Makes 2 cups.

Making your own pizza sauce is a breeze. From "Pizza Night" by Deborah Kaloper (Smith Street Books, 2023).

• 1 (28-oz.) can San Marzano tomatoes

• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 basil leaves

Directions

Drain the tomatoes in a colander with a bowl beneath to catch the juice. Drain for a couple of minutes, then place the tomatoes in a separate bowl and save the juice for another use.

Crush the tomatoes into small pieces using your hands, then add the oil, basil leaves and a good pinch of salt. Stir together and place the sauce in an airtight container. The sauce will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.