Roasted Tomatoes and Artichokes Pizza
Homemade pizzas don’t have to be boring. By boring, I mean using only the basics like pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni. I have nothing against a basic pizza. But, when I make pizzas at home I like to pair different veggies or add chicken or prosciutto instead of pepperoni. I also substitute pesto for the pizza sauce.
One of my favorite homemade pizzas is Roasted Tomatoes and Artichokes Pizza. Roasting the tomatoes brings out the natural sweetness of the fruit. Yes, tomatoes are classified as a fruit not a vegetable. Of course, there is an ongoing debate about that but it really doesn’t matter. All I know is that freshly roasted tomatoes are delicious. Combining the artichokes with the roasted tomatoes just increases the deliciousness of the pizza. I have tried different types of tomatoes in this recipe and depending on the tomato the flavor is slightly different.
Ultimately, I prefer using Caperelli tomatoes but I also enjoy Roma tomatoes on this pizza. Hot house or beefsteak tomatoes don’t fair well with this recipe but in a pinch use whatever you have available.
Like all pizzas this one is versatile. Add roasted chicken for protein or even pepperoni if you feel a pizza isn’t really a pizza without it. For my vegetarian friends, I think you will want to add my Roasted Tomatoes and Artichoke pizza to your list of homemade pizza ideas.
Roasted Tomatoes and Artichokes Pizza
Ingredients:
2 containers Caperelli tomatoes quartered
1 jar marinaded artichokes
1 small red onion sliced thin
1pkg ready made pizza crust (Trader Joe’s)
1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese shredded
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp basil or tomato pesto (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ tsp onion powder
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place tomatoes, artichokes and red onions on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, black pepper and onion powder. Gently toss to coat veggies with olive oil and seasonings. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until veggies are roasted. Remove from the oven and let cool for 3 – 5 minutes.
Pre Pizza Crust:
Place pizza crust ona baking sheet and spread crust with pesto. Sprinkle a little cheese over the pesto. Spread roasted tomatoes, artichokes and red onions over the cheese then sprinkle with remaining cheese, dried oregano and red pepper flakes. Place in the oven and bake until cheese melts and turns slightly golden brown (approximately 5 minutes).
Remove from the oven and let cool for 1 minute then slice.
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