Arugula Tomato Bacon Pizza
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Arugula Tomato Bacon Pizza is homemade bliss! There’s nothing quite like pizza night at home—especially when working with a flavorful combo of juicy tomatoes, crisp bacon, salty Parmesan, and peppery arugula. With a BLT vibe, every bite is perfectly savory and fresh, and it’s surprisingly easy to pull off in your very own oven.
A weekly pizza night is cherished family tradition here—enjoyed by everyone, insisted upon by the kids—and while I love the ease of a great carryout pie, there’s also something deeply satisfying about making your own.
We love this particular combo for something a little fun and interesting. The mix of smoky bacon, sweet burst-in-your-mouth tomatoes, tangy Parmesan, and fresh arugula is downright delightful.
As an added bonus, it’s easy to flex up or down depending on your favored vibe. Craving the full homemade effect? Use from-scratch dough and sauce. Keeping it simple? Naan or flatbread plus jarred marinara saves the day. All is delicious.
Ingredient Notes
Variations
To mix things up and make this your own, add heat with red pepper or a drizzle of Sriracha, freshness with a scattering of herbs, or tang with a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
I was making two pizzas the night I photographed this—one with these toppings, and one with pepperoni for the kids—hence the two balls of pizza dough pictured here. The recipe card is written for one large pizza but it’s pretty straightforward to adjust the amounts for however many pizzas you want to make!
How To Make Arugula Tomato Bacon Pizza
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Important: turn on the oven first thing! Crank your oven all the way up to 500°F and place a pizza pan or baking stone inside as the oven warms. Allow 30 minutes for the oven to come to temperature, and for refrigerated pizza dough to come to room temperature, where it is most workable.
Crisp the bacon and prep the tomatoes. Pan-fry the bacon, then remove, pat dry, and crumble into small pieces. For maximum flavor and simplicity, give the halved cherry tomatoes a quick sizzle in the rendered bacon fat, along with a pinch of red pepper flakes for a light touch of heat.
Prep the dough. Gently stretch and shape the dough into a round. Place this on a sheet of parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal, and brush the outer rim lightly with olive oil.
Add a thin layer of sauce. Not too much—you should see the dough peeking through in spots.
Add toppings. Sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella, crumbled bacon, tomatoes, and a dusting of Parmesan.
Bake! Into the oven and let the magic unfold. While the pizza bakes, toss a few handfuls of arugula with olive oil and white wine vinegar.
Take out the pizza, scatter the greens on top, slice, and serve!
You might be tempted to leave off the arugula or serve it on the side as a salad, but I’d encourage you to at least try a slice with the arugula actually on the pizza. The residual heat wilts the arugula just a tiny bit, and the flavor and texture of the fresh greens complement the bacon and tomatoes so nicely. Give it a try!
Tips & Tricks for Success
Making pizza at home can feel tricky the first few times that you try it. These are my top tips after making it frequently for years!
- Don’t fight the dough. If pizza dough is bouncing back a lot as you try to stretch and shape it, don’t fight: it will win! Instead, let the ball of dough rest, untouched, for 5-10 minutes at room temperature. This literally lets the gluten relax so it will be easier to shape.
- Brush the edge for a golden crust. It seems like a small step, but don’t skip brushing a light gloss of olive oil on the outer rim of the crust.
- Hot surface = crisp crust. That blazing-hot stone or pizza pan creates the best texture. Be sure your oven is heated all the way to 500°F with the baking surface inside before transferring the pizza in to cook.
- Rest before slicing. Allow your pizza to cool for 1-2 minutes prior to slicing. This helps the pieces stay intact!
Favorite Pairings
I personally love to round out pizza night with a salad that has a few chickpeas, beans, or nuts for extra protein.
- Greek Chickpea Salad
- White Bean Tomato Cucumber Salad
- Couscous Salad with Peas and Walnuts
- Chickpea Avocado Salad
- Kale Blueberry Salad with Feta and Pecans
To be clear, there are also plenty of nights when I use a salad kit for the adults and serve the kids grapes and carrot sticks—and that is also great. 🙂
Ready to make it?
No waiting, no delivery fees, and full creative control—plus, fresh greens on hot pizza are a deliciously unexpected crunch and edge. It’s comfort food with a smart twist. Now run to the kitchen and make this at the next available opportunity!
Arugula Tomato Bacon Pizza
Ingredients
- dough for 1 large pizza
- 2 bacon slices
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- cornmeal for sprinkling
- 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce homemade or storebought
- 1 and 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese about 6 ounces by weight
- 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1-2 cups arugula
- 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F and place a pizza stone or large baking sheet inside for at least 30 minutes. While the oven and baking surface are heating up, let the pizza dough come to room temperature and rest.dough for 1 large pizza
- Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, then remove and chop or crumble into small pieces. Leave the rendered bacon fat in the pan.2 bacon slices
- Add tomatoes and crushed red pepper to the skillet in which the bacon cooked, still over medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside.1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- When ready to assemble the pizza, lay out a large piece of parchment paper and dust it lightly with cornmeal. Using well-floured hands, stretch and shape the pizza dough into a 12”-14” circle. Lay the shaped dough on the cornmeal-dusted parchment, and lightly brush the outer edge with 1 Tablespoon olive oil.cornmeal, 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Spread sauce evenly onto the dough. Sprinkle with mozzarella, followed by the crumbled bacon, tomatoes, and Parmesan.1/2 cup marinara sauce, 1 and 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Gently transfer the pizza to the preheated surface. (If using parchment paper, I usually slide the pizza straight in with the parchment still underneath it. Using a pizza peel is another option.) Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the crust is as brown as you like.
- While pizza is baking, toss arugula with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and the white wine vinegar. Remove pizza from the oven, top with the arugula, and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.1-2 cups arugula, 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Notes
- A pizza stone really helps give you get the best crust. A good one is not terribly expensive, plus you’ll find many other uses for it.
- If your crust springs back or is very difficult to shape, let it rest for another 5-10 minutes and try again. It should not give you fits! A few more minutes to rest at room temperature helps the gluten in the dough relax.
- Recipe Inspiration: Cooking Light
Nutrition Estimate
More Homemade Pizza Recipes
If you’re craving more pizza the homemade way, try a classic pizza margherita next.
Alternatively, take a delicious shortcut and whip up some garlicky naan pizzas, BLT flatbreads, BBQ chicken, or pesto sausage flatbreads in 10 minutes flat.
You can also FOLLOW me on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, and FACEBOOK for more great recipes and ideas!
I love fresh arugula on pizza! I’m definitely going to try it with the addition of oil and vinegar next time!
Oh, I hope you try it and like it! I wasn’t sure what to expect, I admit, but we all really really enjoyed how it added to the flavor !
This pizza looks wonderful! I definitely want to try this recipe soon.
Thanks, Ashley! I hope you enjoy if you do try it!
This pizza looks so fresh and colourful for summer. It’s interesting that you’ve used cornmeal for sprinkling. I’ve never done that before. Should try this next time when I make pizza.
Hi Iryna – definitely! Cornmeal really helps prevent the pizza dough from sticking to the baking surface. Enjoy!
Summer produce and bacon on a pizza? Yes, please! I know we’ll be making this one soon!
Yum!!! That looks so delicious yet healthy.
Thanks for sharing
Julie
ThermoKitchen Kitchen
Homemade pizza is the best. Love the arugula and tomato on this one. Pizza is one of my favorite go to easy meals.
This will be my go-to summer pizza. YUM! And so pretty, too!
I love rocket, it is so tasty and it’s great on top of a pizza like this. Such a great dish.