Italian Garden Pizza Recipes

GARDEN PIZZA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute the zucchini, peppers, onion, carrot and garlic in butter for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, oregano and pepper; toss to coat., Place the crust on an ungreased baking sheet or pizza pan. Spoon vegetable mixture onto crust to within 1/2 in. of edges. Top with tomato and cheese. Bake at 450° for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

WHITE PIZZAS WITH ARUGULA

Steps:

• Mix the dough: Combine the water, yeast, honey and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. When the yeast is dissolved, add 3 cups of flour, then 2 teaspoons salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add up to 1 more cup of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl.
• Knead by hand: When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic.
• Let it rise: Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Make garlic oil: Place 1/2 cup of olive oil, the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. (Be sure your oven is clean!)
• Portion the dough: Dump the dough onto a board and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Place the doughs on sheet pans lined with parchment paper and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
• Stretch the dough: Press and stretch each ball into an 8-inch circle and place 2 circles on each sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (If you've chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature.)
• Top the dough: Brush the pizzas with the garlic oil, and sprinkle each one liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with fontina, mozzarella and goat cheese. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon more of the garlic oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown.
• Make the vinaigrette: Meanwhile, whisk together 1/2 cup of olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Add the greens: When the pizzas are done, place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with just enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten. Place a large bunch of arugula on each pizza and a slice of lemon and serve immediately.

GRILLED GARDEN PIZZA

Steps:

• Sprinkle tomatoes with salt; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half. Roll or press each to 1/4-in. thickness; place each on a greased sheet of foil (about 10 in. square). Brush tops with 1 tablespoon oil., Carefully invert crusts onto a grill rack, removing foil. Brush tops with remaining oil. Grill, covered, over medium heat until bottom is golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Remove from grill; reduce grill temperature to low., Top grilled sides of crusts with Parmesan or Asiago cheese, tomatoes, corn, onion and mozzarella cheese. Grill, covered, on low heat until cheese is melted, 4-6 minutes. Sprinkle with spinach and basil.

GARDEN PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• Heat oil in regular or nonstick skillet. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in peppers, onions and eggplant, and cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are soft.
• Season with pepper; stir in basil and cook just until wilted.
• Arrange vegetables evenly over the browned tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese and run under broiler long enough to melt cheese. Top with tomato slices and serve.

ITALIAN GARDEN PIZZA

Steps:

• Cook potatoes according to package directions. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat pizza crust with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Combine pesto sauce mix with 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Place prepared crust on baking pan. Spread potatoes evenly over crust. Drizzle with pesto mixture. Top with pepperoni, if desired. Reserve 1/2 cup cheese. Sprinkle 1 1/4 cups cheese over pizza. Top with green peppers, green onions, tomatoes and remaining cheese. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

GARDEN VEGGIE PIZZA SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Roll out crescent rolls onto a large non-stick baking sheet. Stretch and flatten to form a single rectangular shape on the baking sheet. Bake 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Allow to cool.
• Place cream cheese in a medium bowl. Mix cream cheese with 1/2 of the ranch dressing mix. Adjust the amount of dressing mix to taste. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange carrots, red bell pepper, broccoli and green onions on top. Chill in the refrigerator approximately 1 hour. Cut into bite-size squares to serve.