friday night pizza.

Friday night pizza has been a tradition in my parent's house for as long as I can remember. Whether we ordered in, popped in a Delissio, or made those tasty little english muffin pizzas reminiscent of my childhood, if it was Friday night...we were eating pizza. While the pizza toppings and beverage of choice have slowly evolved over the years, the ritual continues, and Joe and I have stayed true to this tradition since we've been married.

Pizza is one of those dishes where the sky really is the limit. If you've got a good base, fresh ingredients, and of course some nice cheese, you're golden. I must admit that I often take the easy route and use store-bought crusts. They are super easy to use and taste amazing. For this pizza, I used President's Choice Blue Menu Multigrain Thin pizza crust and it turned out fabulous. It is a slightly smaller crust, so if you're cooking for more than 2 people, I'd suggest making a couple pizzas.

This recipe is perfect for a romantic night in served with a glass of wine, or even cut into smaller wedges and served as an appetizer.



Caramelized Onion, Proscuitto and Goat Cheese Pizza

- (1) pizza crust or extra-large pita
- (1) tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- (1) head of roasted garlic (see instructions below)
- (1) tsp. dried basil or a handful of fresh basil
- (1) caramelized onion *
- (6-8) slices of proscuitto
~ (8 oz.) goat cheese, or 1/2 of a 454g tube
- (1/2) cup of shredded mozzarella

The first step to making this pizza is to roast the head of garlic. It is a lot easier working with the garlic when it's not straight out of the oven and piping hot, so this can even be done a couple hours in advance. Some recipes will suggest wrapping the garlic in tin foil or drizzling with olive oil, but I have found that simply popping the head of garlic into the oven works the best. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, and once it comes to temperature, place the head of garlic directly on the rack. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, making sure that the garlic cloves are soft to the touch when done. Allow to cool and cut the woody end off the head of garlic with a sharp knife. At this point you'll be able to squeeze the one end of the head of garlic and the roasted cloves will slide right out.

 
* The next step is to caramelize the onions. To caramelize onions is really just to bring out their natural sugars by heating them. While you don't really need to add anything to the onions to caramelize them, adding the vinegar and brown sugar add a nice colour and sweetness to the onions which contrasts nicely with the goat cheese and proscuitto. 

Caramelized Onions

- (1) tbsp. butter or margarine

- (1) large onion or (2) small onions, sliced into rings

- (1) tbsp. balsamic vinegar

- (1) tsp. brown sugar

Heat butter in frying fan over medium to low heat. Slice onions into thin rings and add to butter. Saute slowly stirring often and making sure not to blacken the edges. Add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to onions and stir. Continue to saute on low until onions completely soften and become a nice golden brown colour.

Finally, constructing the pizza. Place pizza crust on on a pizza tray. Brush lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves onto the crust and spread evenly over the entire pizza. Season with basil. If using fresh basil, roughly chop and sprinkle over the crust. Spread on caramelized onions.

Top with sliced proscuitto. Note that the proscuitto used on this pizza was home cured and slighly thicker than store-bought proscuitto.

 Crumble goat cheese on top and sprinkle with mozzarella.

Place pizza in an oven preheated to 375 degrees F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, checking on the pizza closer to the end as baking times will vary depending on the oven. Let the pizza rest for a couple minutes, then slice and serve.

Buon Appetito!


Cutting Back?
Another healthy option when making your own pizza is to use an extra-large whole-wheat pita for the crust. They are nice and thin and crispy and a few less carbohydrates than a regular pizza crust. Omitting the proscuitto and mozzarella will also cut out a lot of fat with out sacrificing too much flavour. This is a great idea if you're catering to vegetarians as well.