Eggplant, Tomato, Red Pepper Pizza

Yes, another pizza recipe.  

In five years, I anticipate that Clearly Delicious will have somewhere around 50-100 pizza recipes.   This is not, necessarily, a bad thing.  I just like my pizza and my perfect pizza crust.

However, this is not your normal pizza recipe.  Unlike most oily, fatty, thick crusted dishes we enjoy at restaurants, this recipe is a healthy, light, summery pizza fresh from the garden.  I get so mad when I eat pizza with people who can’t order a pie that’s outside of the “pepperoni!” box.  On a date, or out with friends, if I ask, “hey, what kind of pizza do you want to get?!” and all the person(s) say(s) is “Pepperoni!” I just shake my head and die a little on the inside.  Pepperoni is not the only way to eat pizza.  There are so many fresh, flavorful alternatives.  If you’re going to eat a pizza with pepperoni, why not add some fresh vegetables too? You know, mix it up a little?

This Eggplant, Tomato, Red Pepper Pizza is just that: a mixed up version of my regular veggie pizza.  Having an abundance of eggplant and other garden vegetables this summer, I knew just what to do with them: a clearly delicious vegetarian pizza.

Eggplant, Tomato, Pepper Pizza

This recipe is a variation of previous pizza recipes available on Clearly Delicious.  See the Perfect Veggie Pizza recipe for an idea of how this Eggplant, Tomato, Pepper Pizza modifies one of my favorite dishes.

Ingredients:

* 1 serving prepared wheat pizza dough recipe

* Cornmeal, for dusting

* 1-2 cups tomato sauce

* 2-3 cups cheese: mixture of fresh parmesan and mozzarella

* Toppings: vine ripe tomatoes, eggplant (sliced very thin), and red bell peppers, all sliced

* 2 tablespoons italian seasoning

* 1-2 teaspoons freshly ground thyme

* 2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

* 1/4 cup pine nuts

* freshly cracked pepper & Tony’s Cajun Seasoning, to taste

Special Equipment needed:
Pizza Stone

1.) Preheat oven to 350F.  Begin by dusting your pizza stone with corn meal.

2.) Lightly flour a clean working surface.

3.) Roll out your pizza dough to 13-14 inches in diameter.  Pizza dough that is pre-prepared, frozen, and thawed is very easy to work with; whereas, if you had just made the pizza dough from scratch, this step would take you twice as long because of the natural elasticity of the freshly made dough.

4.) Transfer dough to pizza stone.  Thoroughly poke holes in dough using a fork.  Drizzle dough with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and smooth with a large spoon.

5.) Add sauce.  I suggest anywhere from 1-2 cups based on your preference (some people HATE large quantities of sauce and some people love it, so add as much as you like).

6.) Season the sauce and dough mixture with half of the thyme and half of the italian seasoning.  Add freshly minced/pressed garlic and crack some pepper over the surface of the pizza.  Dust with Tony’s and sprinkle on pine nuts.

7.) Now, begin adding your toppings: eggplant, tomatoes, and red peppers.  Sprinkle your remaining seasonings–thyme and Italian–and dust with Tony’s and freshly cracked pepper.  Add fresh chunks of mozzarella and parmesan.

8.) Cook on pizza stone, but in oven at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until crust and toppings are golden brown.  Remove from oven, allow to cool for several minutes, and cut into 8 pieces.

 

–Helana Brigman

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