
Dinner Designed for Two
Cast Iron White Pizza with Speck and Arugula
PREP
COOK
SERVES
30 min, plus 7 to 8 hours rising
25 min
2
Crisp cast iron pizza with garlic herb butter, mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan, finished with speck and lemony arugula.
This dinner comes from one of our Date Nite menus, shared here in a simpler format with everything you need to make the complete meal at home, including every recipe, the paired cocktail, and a grocery list. Our full Date Nite experience takes it a step further, helping you cook the meal together and make a night of it.
No ads. No noise. Just a good meal and an evening worth slowing down for.
For Dinner
The Dough
375g bread flour (3 cups plus 2 tbsp)
225g cold water (3/4 cup plus 3 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp)
10.5g fine sea salt (1 3/4 tsp)
Heaping 1/4 tsp instant yeast
Olive oil, for the bowl
Combine the flour, water, salt, and yeast in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead on medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, or knead by hand for 10 minutes. The dough will be sticky at first, but don't add extra flour, since it will smooth out as you keep kneading.
Shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover, and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours. It should look softer and puffier but doesn't need to double.
Turn the dough onto your work surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces, about 305g each. Shape each piece into a smooth ball and place each on its own piece of parchment paper on a plate. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 5 to 6 hours. The parchment makes it easy to lift and flip the dough later without misshaping your round.
Heat the Skillet
When the dough balls are close to the end of their rise, place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 500°F, letting the skillet heat with the oven. The longer it preheats, the better, so make the sauce, butter, and toppings while it heats. Use oven mitts, since the handle will be hot even off the heat.
The Sauce
1 can San Marzano whole tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
2 to 3 pinches dried oregano
2 to 3 fresh basil leaves
Crush the tomatoes by hand or pulse briefly for some texture, not a smooth purée. Stir in the olive oil, salt, oregano, and basil. Transfer to a small saucepan and keep warm over low heat until you're ready to serve.
The Garlic Herb Butter
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
Small pinch salt, optional
Stir the melted butter, garlic, and Italian seasoning together. Set aside. You'll use about half for each pizza.
The Toppings
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
6 oz whole-milk, low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves
4 oz thinly sliced speck
4 cups baby arugula
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh lemon
Kosher salt
Season the ricotta with salt and pepper. Divide the mozzarella, Parmesan, ricotta, basil, speck, and arugula in half for the two pizzas.
Stretch and Bake
Lift one dough ball using the parchment underneath, flip it onto your work surface, and peel away the parchment. Press the dough outward from the center with your fingertips, leaving the edges slightly thicker for the crust. Drape it over your knuckles and rotate slowly, letting gravity stretch it to about 10 inches. Don't use a rolling pin or add flour.
Place the stretched dough on a fresh piece of parchment and brush with half the garlic herb butter, leaving a small border. Top with half the mozzarella, dollops of half the ricotta, half the Parmesan, and 4 to 5 basil leaves.
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven, use the parchment to lift the pizza, and lower it into the skillet. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove the parchment from underneath using tongs. Return to the oven and bake 2 to 3 minutes more, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling. Transfer to a cutting board and repeat with the second dough ball.
Bringing It Together
While each pizza is still hot, arrange half the speck over the top. Toss half the arugula with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a pinch of salt, then pile it over the pizza. Slice and serve with the warm sauce alongside for dipping, and your Experience No. 1.
For Sipping
Experience No. 1
Makes 1 cocktail
1 3/4 oz vodka
3/4 oz elderflower liqueur
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
2 fresh basil leaves
Lemon wedge and basil leaf, for garnish
Slap the basil leaves between your palms to release their aroma, then add them to a shaker with the vodka, elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice. Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Double strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a lemon wedge and basil leaf. For two cocktails, simply double the recipe.
make Ordinary Nights feel like Something More

You've got the dinner. Date Nite helps you make it a night.
Date Nite is more than a menu. It’s designed to make cooking together easy, with a guided flow that shows you how to move through the kitchen as a team. But the bigger idea is even simpler: creating a ritual of returning to the table, slowing down, and making space for each other week after week.
Want to see what that feels like? Try one full Date Nite on us.












