I just spent the week in the Finger Lakes drinking wine and eating some really yummy food, but yesterday we were catapulted back in to reality. After about 5 hours in the car we pulled in to the driveway I realized I only had a half hour to pick up my Farm box! I rushed over and met the lovely Dawn, picked a Purple Sage herb plant and went on my merry way. I was too tired to cook, and it was wayyyyy too hot, but the Eggplant was looking at me and after all I am the summer chef and it's hot in the summer...all the time. I had no excuses. So I channeled the winter within and thought of a snowy night in February when some friends of ours took us to Bivio in Little Falls. They have this beautiful custom pizza oven and I ate this ridiculous Eggplant and Sausage Pizza. Even though your oven will be on high, your pizza eaters will say, "cool!" ... no?.... it's still too freakin hot.
For this pizza you will need:
1 pizza dough from your local grocery store.
1/2 can of Cento Pizza Sauce
1 Medium Eggplant
4 links of Italian Sausage 2 Sweet, 2 Hot (You can mix and match or use what you like)
1 Package of Part-Skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 cup of flour for rolling out the dough
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Basil
First I chop up the eggplant, drizzle it with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over it, season it with salt pepper and garlic powder to taste and roast it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
While the Eggplant is roasting...
Take the sausage out of the casing and brown the crumbles over medium/high heat.Should take about 10 minutes.
Roll out your room tempertaure dough using flour.
Place on baking sheet or pizza stone.
Sauce the dough with about 1/2 can of Cento Pizza Sauce.
Season sauce with a layer of garlic powder (we love it).
Once the Eggplant and Sausage is done...
Go back and raise your oven temp to 475. Warning! Your oven may be different. My husband and I have tested our oven with many pizza's and we've found that this temperature works for us. Make a bunch of pizza's and get to know your oven...
Spread about 1/4 of the Eggplant on top of the sauce.
Add the full bag of cheese.
Add remainder of Eggplant and top off with sausage.
Salt, Pepper, Basil to taste.
Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes. Make sure your pizza is on the center rack so that the center gets all crispy.
This pizza is hearty and spicy, but then the Eggplant is creamy and the cheese is gooey! It's crunchy and just delicious. You really can have it all!
Coming soon... a guest spot from the Summer Sommelier (Chris, my hubs)!
Thanks for reading, eat your veggies=)
-Laura
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