Pizza with Buffalo Mozzarella, Artichoke Hearts, and Lemon Zest

When I first saw this pizza on Technicolor Kitchen, I knew I had to make it - the combination of flavors just sounded so good!  The pizza definitely did not disappoint.  Briny artichokes, rich buffalo mozzarella, and bright fresh basil go perfectly together, but it's the lemon zest that really takes this pizza over the top.  I don't think I would have come up with the idea of lemon zest on pizza on my own, but it's actually a perfect flavor booster.  Since you're using zest instead of juice or slices, there's no added tartness, but the zest adds an amazing lemon-y scent to the whole pie.  One word of warning with this recipe - since some of the ingredients are rather 'wet' (especially the melted cheese since buffalo mozzarella is much wetter than regular), you'll want a medium-thick crust for your pizza instead of a super thin one, so plan accordingly and use a very thin layer of pizza sauce to avoid a soggy pizza.

Pizza with Buffalo Mozzarella, Artichoke Hearts, and Lemon Zest (adapted from Technicolor Kitchen, original recipe here)
Makes 1 pizza

Pizza dough for one pizza (such as this recipe from Martha Stewart)
1/3 cup tomato sauce
1 ball buffalo mozzarella, very thinly sliced
8-10 marinated artichoke heart quarters
Finely grated zest of one lemon
A few basil leaves, julienned

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and grease a pizza pan.
2. Shape the pizza dough into a circle and place on the pizza pan.  Spread with a thin layer of tomato sauce (as thin as possible).  Scatter the mozzarella, artichoke hearts, and lemon zest evenly over the pizza.
3. Bake until the crust is cooked through and browned on the bottom, and the cheese is melted.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the basil leaves.