Behind the Bites

Feast Your Eyes


Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Pizza

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I make a lot of gourmet pizzas. This time I wanted to get fancy. I don’t know why, but I guess my idea of “fancy” is roasted red peppers and artichokes. The two ingredients, with a little olive oil instead of sauce, is what I have conjured up.

And you know what?

It’s awesome!

This is one of the better pizzas I have eaten in a long time. It’s a must try for any pizza connoisseur. It also has the distinction of being vegetarian, something not very common with my recipes. My mom had been raving for months about a friend of hers that made a sun-dried tomato and artichoke pizza, so I thought I would go in that direction but I replace the tomato with the roasted red pepper.

Another touch with this pizza that makes a huge difference in taste is the oregano. As I sprinkled it over the pie I crushed it with my fingers bringing out more flavor. The ingredient is essential to bringing the whole thing together – it added flavors that are usually provided by a sauce.

BEHIND THIS BITE
This has to be one of my top three pizzas ever. It was light and tasty and I love roasted red peppers. I could see this being an opening course for an important dinner like a wedding party or even a Valentines meal, only I would call it “flat bread” just to make it sound fancy.

This pie delivers the boom. In the last year alone I’ve made at least 12 pizzas and posted them here. All are unique and gourmet so I created a link where all of them can be found.

Eat well, cook often …

THE RECIPE
Make 2 12” pizzas; 30 minutes
Divide over crusts

2 Tbs Olive oil
2 C Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 jar Artichoke hearts (6 oz)
1 jar Roasted red pepper (7 oz)
1 tsp Oregano
1/2 C Parmesan cheese, fresh grated

Assemble and bake pizza
On pizza crusts layer olive oil, mozzarella, artichoke, roasted red pepper, oregano and parmesan. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.