Mini Breakfast Pizzas with Arugula Salad combine crisp pizza crusts, warm eggs and a bright, peppery salad—all in one bite. Instead of serving pizza and salad separately, the lemony arugula is piled on top of the hot, cheesy pizzas so each mouthful delivers contrasting textures and fresh flavor.
Gather what you need
- Fresh pizza dough – Store-bought from a bakery or deli, or use your favorite homemade dough.
- Flour – A little unbleached all-purpose flour for dusting and rolling.
- Ricotta cheese – Part-skim or whole milk ricotta works; its mild sweetness and creamy texture are ideal.
- Lemon zest – Finely grated for the best brightness.
- Kosher salt – Adjust if using table salt (table salt is finer; use about two-thirds the amount).
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Eggs – Large eggs, chilled or at room temperature.
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated for best flavor.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – Use a good-quality EVOO for the dressing.
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed for brightness.
- Fresh baby arugula – Tender baby leaves have a milder peppery bite than mature arugula.
You can absolutely do this at home. The photos here show purchased pizza dough from a local bakery, but feel free to use any dough you prefer or make your own.
- Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Place a pizza stone or a large baking sheet in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) and keep the stone or pan inside as it heats.
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces (about 12 ounces total dough).
If you start with about 12 ounces of dough, divide it into four roughly equal pieces. A digital scale helps if you want even portions.
Extra dough?
- Portion remaining dough into 3-ounce discs.
- Partially bake them, cool, and freeze in a sealed bag for later use.
- Lightly flour your work surface.
- Roll each dough ball into a 6 to 7-inch circle. Rustic shapes are fine.
- Pierce each circle generously with a fork to reduce excessive puffing during the first bake.
- Place two dough circles on the hot pizza stone or preheated inverted baking sheet and bake at 450°F for 3 minutes.
- Remove and flip each disc so the cooked side faces up; set aside. Repeat with the remaining two circles.
No pizza stone? No problem.
If you don’t have a stone, invert a large rimmed baking sheet and preheat it on the rack to create a smooth, hot surface for sliding pizzas on and off.
- Stir ricotta and lemon zest in a medium bowl, then divide the mixture evenly among the cooked sides of the dough discs.
- Season each with a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (about 1/8 teaspoon of each across the pizzas).
- Top each disc with an egg and sprinkle about 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan over each.
- Work in two batches. Return the topped discs to the hot surface and bake at 450°F until egg whites are set and yolks remain slightly runny, about 6 to 10 minutes depending on egg size and how set you like the yolk.
Prepare the arugula salad while the pizzas bake
- Whisk together extra-virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Season with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
- Toss the arugula with the dressing so the leaves are evenly coated, then set aside until the pizzas are done.
Don’t dress the arugula too far ahead of time; it will wilt if left dressed for long.
Finish and serve
- As soon as each pizza comes out of the oven, pile about 1 cup of the dressed arugula on top.
- If desired, grate a little extra Parmesan and add a touch more lemon zest for brightness.
Serve immediately
Enjoy these mini breakfast pizzas while the crust is still crunchy, the eggs are warm and gooey, and the arugula retains its crispness.
Make-ahead tip: If you have frozen partially baked mini crusts, these come together very quickly—perfect for busy mornings.
Mini Breakfast Pizzas with Arugula Salad – Recipe Summary
Mini Breakfast Pizzas with Arugula Salad
Enjoy pizza and salad together with these bright, satisfying breakfast pizzas.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh pizza dough
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (plus more for serving, if desired)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving, if desired)
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 cups packed baby arugula
Instructions
- Let dough stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Divide into 4 pieces.
- Place a pizza stone or inverted rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 450°F. Keep it inside while preheating.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 6–7 inch circle and pierce liberally with a fork.
- Arrange 2 circles on the hot surface and bake 3 minutes. Flip so the cooked side faces up and set aside. Repeat with remaining circles.
- Mix ricotta and lemon zest. Divide the mixture among the cooked sides; season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Top each with 1 egg and 1 tablespoon Parmesan.
- Bake in two batches at 450°F until egg whites are set and yolks are slightly runny, about 6–10 minutes.
- Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; toss with arugula to coat.
- Top each pizza with about 1 cup dressed arugula. Add extra Parmesan and lemon zest if desired. Serve immediately.
