Pizza Perfection

There's something about summer that just makes me want to cook! Maybe its because everything is so fresh and delicious, its easy to get inspired just walking through the grocery store! Wednesday night has been pizza night at our house for a few years now. We don't have it every Wednesday but I would say most Wednesdays we celebrate making it halfway through the work week with a slice of homemade Nic pizza and an ice cold beer. Last night, I got a wild hair and decided to try a pizza buffet. No, I'm not talking about Cici's, a pizza buffet McFarland style. I made 4 small pizzas, each different, and we all tried a slice of each. I made mini-pizzas but the recipes below are for a full pizza. They turned out great, I hope you enjoy!

P.S. Some of them sound weird...the weirder they sound, the tastier they are. Trust me. :-)

Basic Pizza Sauce

1 24-oz can of San Marzano tomatoes (whole, peeled plum tomatoes work if you can't find San Marzano)
2 Tbls EVOO
About 2 ts dried oregano
Garlic powder
Salt and Pepper

Crush tomatoes into a small saucepan using your hands (The technical term for this is squish). Season with EVOO, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Heat over medium heat about 20-30 minutes until tomatoes are nice and broken up and flavor is where you want it.


Margarita Pizza (Not to be confused with the tequila drink!)

Pizza dough (You can make your own or buy it at Publix, a farmer's market, pizza shop, etc. Just look for dough, not crust)
1/2-1 batch pizza sauce, depending on how saucy you like it
Handful of whole fresh basil leaves
1 ball fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Preheat oven as hot as it will go, about 550. If you have a pizza stone, preheat it with the oven. Meanwhile, flatten, roll and toss dough into a circle to your desired thickness. Place on pizza stone or regular baking sheet and prick a few times with a fork. This helps prevent it from bubbling up or rising too much. Bake about 3-4 minutes, until lightly brown. Remove from oven and top with sauce. Add slices of mozzarella then whole basil leaves. Put back in the oven and cook until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

Prosciutto and Pineapple Pizza

Pizza dough
1/2-1 batch pizza sauce, depending on how saucy you like it
1 ball fresh mozzarella, diced (small cubes)
1/4 lb prosciutto
About 1 cup diced pineapple (fresh, not canned)

Preheat oven as hot as it will go, about 550. If you have a pizza stone, preheat it with the oven. Meanwhile, flatten, roll and toss dough into a circle to your desired thickness. Place on pizza stone or regular baking sheet and prick a few times with a fork. This helps prevent it from bubbling up or rising too much. Bake about 3-4 minutes, until lightly brown. Remove from oven and top with sauce. Add mozzarella then prosciutto and pineapple. Put back in the oven and cook until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

Spanakopita Pizza with a Balsamic Reduction

Pizza dough
9 oz fresh spinach
3 Tbls EVOO, divided
About 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 medium sweet onion
1 cup balsamic vinegar
Fresh grated parmiggiano reggiano
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven as hot as it will go, about 550. If you have a pizza stone, preheat it with the oven.

For onions, thinly slice onion and caramelize over medium heat with 1 Tbls EVOO until soft and sweet. For balsamic reduction, heat balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced and thick, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute spinach in 1.5 Tbls EVOO and season with salt, pepper and garlic.

Flatten, roll and toss dough into a rectangle to your desired thickness. Place on pizza stone or regular baking sheet and brush lightly with about half a Tbls of EVOO. Bake about 3-4 minutes, until lightly brown. Remove from oven and top with sauteed spinach, crumbled feta, caramelized onion and a handful of parmiggiano reggiano. Place pizza back in oven another 5 minutes. Cheese will not fully melt but will get soft. Top with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and enjoy.

Spring Goat Pizza (Weird names, even weirder ingredients but it was by far our favorite!)

Pizza dough
1/2 batch pizza sauce (this pizza requires very little sauce)
1 ball fresh mozzarella, diced (small cubes)
2 handfuls fresh arugula
About 3 oz goat cheese
2 peaches, peeled and diced
EVOO

Preheat oven as hot as it will go, about 550. If you have a pizza stone, preheat it with the oven. Meanwhile, flatten, roll and toss dough into a circle to your desired thickness. Place on pizza stone or regular baking sheet and prick a few times with a fork. This helps prevent it from bubbling up or rising too much. Bake about 3-4 minutes, until lightly brown. Remove from oven and top with sauce. Again, very light sauce here, not as much as a normal pizza. Add arugula and drizzle very lightly with EVOO. Top with mozzarella and dot with goat cheese. Think about trying to have a taste of goat cheese in every bite. Put back in the oven and cook until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, top with diced peaches and serve. You'll be amazed at how delicious this pizza is!