Mediterranean Pizza

Mediterranean Pizza

I have to confess; this recipe was developed out of a need to finish the antipasto items I had in my fridge.  Marinated artichoke hearts, pitted kalamata olives, grape tomatoes, salami, and a lot of mozzarella!  We had a small gathering at our house, as always; too much food!  What I especially love about this recipe is the oregano that is mixed into the dough, rather than adding it to sauce, it is mild but flavourful.

Serves 4

1 Batch of whole wheat dough with 2 tbsp of dried oregano added to the flour mixture

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 454g (1 pint) package of grape tomatoes, sliced in half

Salt

Pepper

187 ml (1/2 jar) pitted black kalamate olives, sliced in half (liquid drained)

1 170g jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained

100 g part skim mozzarella cheese, grated

2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

100 g salami (I like Genoa) or prosciutto, sliced into ribbons (optional)

–  Prepare the dough according to recipe instructions but add 2 tbsp of dried oregano to the flour, salt, and yeast; mix well.

–  Bake the dough at 425 for 11 minutes as recipe outlines, meanwhile;

–  Combine the olive oil and garlic in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave the oil and garlic mixture for 15 seconds (this will infuse the oil).

–  Over high heat, saute the mushrooms until they have given off their water (no oil in the pan and don’t season the mushrooms).

–  When the dough has baked for the 11 minutes, remove it from the oven and then add garlic oil to the crust (in place of tomato sauce).

–  Top the oil with the grape tomatoes; season lightly with salt and pepper.

–  Top with an even layer of the olives.

–  Top the olives with the mushrooms.

–  Top the mushrooms with the artichoke hearts.

–  Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, careful not to burn the crust.

–  Remove the pizza from the oven and turn the broiler to high.

–  Cover the pizza with the mozzarella and then the parmesan.

–  Place the pizza under the broiler until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

–  Top the pizza with the salami or prosciutto ribbons, if using.

–  Let the pizza stand for at least 5 minutes before you slice it.

Notes:

1. Feel free to improvise (as always) and use any marinated toppings you like.
2. I say to lightly season the tomatoes because the olives and artichokes are quite salty.
3. Use feta in place of the parmesan for an even better Mediterranean experience.
4. This recipe does have less cheese than my other pizza recipes but too much cheese would have made this pizza really heavy; you really won’t miss it here.
5. If you are using store bought pizza dough (whole wheat please) you can sprinkle some dried oregano over the garlic and oil mixture, not too much though; no more than ½ tbsp.