Kitchen Destinations

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of RAGÚ® Pasta Sauce.All opinions are entirely my own.

Cooking for friends is always a joy, especially when they invite you over for a lovely holiday stay. As a “thank-you” I wanted to make a meal that wasn’t going to take hours of preparation. Naturally, serving guests spaghetti came to mind but then I thought pizza would be better. Not just any pizza, a clam pizza with veggies and cheese sauce!

On a recent journey to Nashville, I decided to pop into a Publix to pick up some RAGÚ® Pasta Sauce. I was eager to try RAGÚ Family Size Cheese Creations Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce since I’ve never actually had store-bought Alfredo sauce. I know, can you believe that? I usually just make my own cheese sauce because of the simple ingredients. However, when you’re on the go or simply want to cook a quick meal, well, a stash of ready-to-serve sauce is supremely ideal.

The sauce has a cheesy taste, made with fresh cream, and Romano and Parmesan cheese. It bursts with cheese flavour. You can definitely use this in many dishes—try it with Cajun Fettuccine, or as a broccoli and cheese sauce over a baked potato. It is available at Publix in 16 oz. and 21.5 oz. jars.

You can also take advantage of the Publix BOGO event NOW through October 11 and buy one, get one RAGÚ Pasta Sauce free.

View the recipe below to see how I used this Alfredo sauce. 

Clam Alfredo Pizza

Ingredients:

1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for frying, plus extra for pizza dough

1 ½ teaspoons yellow cornmeal

1 onion, roughly chopped  

6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped   

50 g (1/2 cup) grated parmesan cheese

1 lime, juiced

125 ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine  

50-60 littleneck clams, rinsed

6-8 pieces (1 small jar) artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

260 g (1 cup) RAGÚ Family Size Cheese Creations Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce

1 homemade or store-bought pizza dough, room temperature  

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes  

6 anchovy slices, cut in half (optional)

Fresh coriander leaves, for garnish

Fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Yield: 6-8 servings Bake: 475F / 240C / Gas Mark 9

Prep: In a large pot, add in the clams and pour in about 240g (1 cup) of water, then cover with a lid and cook until the clams have opened about 4-5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove clams from the pot, and let cool. Remove clams from their shells, tossing the shells. Set aside in a glass bowl.  

Method:

1. Position a rack in the lower part of oven; place a pizza stone on rack. Preheat the oven to 475F degrees at least 30 minutes before cooking. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and artichoke hearts; cook, and stir until vegetables are soft and fragrant. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside. Add white wine to the same pan and cover; bring liquid to a boil.  
2. Cook liquid over medium-high heat, whisking in the parmesan cheese, and RAGÚ Cheese Creations Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce and continue cooking until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Remove from heat and let the sauce cool.   
3. Drizzle olive oil on a large round baking tray or pizza stone. Lightly dust cornmeal on top. Shape pizza dough into one large even round on the baking tray or pizza stone. Par-bake the dough in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oven.  
4. Use olive oil to lightly brush the outer edges of the pizza dough. Spoon just enough of the RAGÚ Cheese Creations Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce over the pizza dough to cover evenly. Top pizza with the sautéed vegetables, clams, and anchovy slices, then sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes.  
5. Bake until the pizza is crisp and the edges of the dough have browned (8-12 minutes). Remove from the oven. Drizzle fresh lime juice over the pizza. Garnish generously with chopped coriander and basil leaves. Serve hot. 

Have you tried any of the RAGÚ Cheese Creations?