Photo by Ally Gruener
Thursday is usually when tiredness and laziness from the busy work week sends me reaching for the takeout menus. Thanks to this veggie pizza recipe from The Berghoff Cafe Cookbook, I can avoid the Tuesday takeout run -- and eat healthier in the process! Don't have time to make your own dough? No problem; just sub in ready-made dough from any grocery store and roll it out very thin to get the maximum taste of the veggies and cheese.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced yellow onion, cut 1/8-inch thick
4 cups sliced red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rings (about 2 large peppers)
1 (6-ounce) bag ready-to-use baby spinach, or 1 (10-ounce) bag ready-to-use spinach
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (10" x 15") plain or herb homemade pizza crust
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a 12-inch nonstick saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until they are tender and translucent. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring, until they are tender and soft. Add the spinach in two batches and cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts. Sprinkle with salt. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool while you roll out the crust.
On a lightly floured surface, using a rolling pin, roll half the pizza dough into a 10" x 15" rectangle. Ease and stretch to fit a 10" x 15" x 1" baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining tablespoon of oil with the garlic. Scrape the mixture onto the crust and brush to cover. Spread the crust evenly with 1 cup of the cheese. Using tongs, lift the veggies from the saute pan and distribute them evenly over the cheese. (Leave any juices in the pan.) Sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheese and bake until the crust is cooked through and the cheese is golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Using a spatula, lift and slide the pizza onto a cutting board. Cut into eight slices. Serve immediately.
Variations
Substitute Swiss or mild cheddar cheese for the mozzarella.
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-- Lauren Le Vine
See More: Food & Recipes , Healthy Eating , Recipes