pizza night Friday. Literally, in the 3 years we have been together, I
can count the times we have been together on Fridays and not made
pizza. It is not many! But tonight, we’re going
to go on a foray into the wild, rolling streets of Manhattan for a food
festival that I couldn’t wait to try out!
Madison Square Eats happened in the spring as well
and I passed it by but didn’t stop. Some things you just enjoy more
with someone else. We’re going to try a number of interesting twists on
various dishes (artisan cannolis, asian hot
dogs, I could go on and on).
I know, myself, about twisting up a classic dish;
like this dinner! I have been on a real kick lately for pizzas that
aren’t the traditional. Last week’s French Onion Soup pizza was great,
and we followed it up with another winner here.
Roasting the vegetables (well, turning the oven on at all) fills the
house with some delicious smells and warmth. Topping it with a
flavorful cheese like fontina means a little cheese goes a long way.
And less cheese means less calories, but in this case,
just as tasty!
Roasted Veggie and Fontina Pizza (adapted from Cooking Light)
Serves: 4
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 medium zucchini, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices
5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 Mom’s Pizza Dough
4 ounces shredded fontina cheese (1 cup)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss mushrooms, garlic, pepper, zucchini, and onion with oil in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place vegetables on a cookie sheet and cook 10-15 minutes, until tender. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on.
Meanwhile, roll out the dough onto a 12-inch pizza pan. Sprinkle vegetable mixture over dough. Top with cheese. Cook the pizza 10-15 minutes until dough is cooked through and cheese is melted, and slightly browning. Sprinkle pizza with basil and crushed red pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.
Until the next time my oven is on…
