Pizza Pizza

Who doesn’t like pizza? Cheesy, gooey, doughy—it’s hard to find fault in. And who hasn’t been eating it for as long as they can remember? (Although, if you’re anything like me, you’ve been eating it less and less the older you get.) I remember fondly the Little Caesar deliveries of my childhood and I used to live for taking my “Book It!” certificates to Pizza Hut to redeem for a personal pan pie.

But, gone are the days that I can gorge myself on giant, greasy slices with abandon—both because I’m mindful of my waistline and because all that oil makes me feel a little queasy. Still, I’m not going to give up pizza for good, so it’s in my best interest to pack as many veggies on the pie as possible, upping both the nutritional factor and the flavor possibilities. The recipe for one of my favorite pies follows, but I regularly mix up the toppings to include anything from eggplant to broccoli to mock-meat soy crumbles. Toss whatever you have in the fridge on (except that bacon, put it down) and allow yourself a mini-indulgence.

Mediterranean Veggie Pizza
Makes about 8 slices.

1 tube (approx. 14 oz) refrigerated pizza dough
2 c. Tomato Sauce*
12 oz. shredded mozzarella
3 c. (packed loosely) fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and torn
1 roasted red bell pepper (jarred), sliced
6 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
¼ c. mixed olives, pitted and sliced
¼ c. feta cheese crumbles
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a large, greased cookie sheet, roll out the dough and prick all over with a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until crust is lightly golden. Remove from oven.

Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, followed by half of the mozzarella. Top with the spinach and then the rest of the mozzarella. Top with the bell pepper, artichokes, olives and feta. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. Season immediately with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil right before serving.

*Side bar- My tomato basil sauce works as-is for this recipe, but if you want to make it a little more “pizza saucy,” use less chicken stock, swap out the fresh basil (and use it shredded on top of the pizza instead) for some dried oregano and leave out the lemon zest.