Bridezilla Bakes

I’m not sure what to say about this, except that it was a really, really good idea. (Ok, also, I’m sorry that the pictures don’t do it justice… but I’m hoping you’ll focus on what a GREAT idea this pizza was. Promise me you’ll at least try…?)

I’d say I was sorry for tooting my own horn, except that my goat cheese, caramelized onions, and prosciutto creation is merely a very obvious hybrid of this pizza, which I ate at a friend’s house, and this one, which I saw on one of my favorite food blogs. I think it’s appropriate to break this down into its component parts (I am an analytical thinker, after all):

1. Goat cheese. Sharp, creamy cheese… underused on pizzas. A little goes a long way, and that makes me feel like it’s healthier. Right? Because you use less cheese overall? … Right?
2. Caramelized onions. The best part of adding onions caramelized in brown sugar to your pizza is that they actually become so tender and juicy that they become the sauce. You’ll notice there is no sauce on this pizza — that’s why. The sweet juices of the onion become the sauce… and if you’re a fan of sweet/salty combinations, this is good news. Which brings us to the…
3. Prosciutto. The salty part of our sweet and salty perfection. This is the most tender, flavorful pizza option there is out there. Why don’t we use this more? Giordano’s, are you listening?
4. Lemons. Yeah, I snuck thinly sliced lemons onto half of this pizza, and we loved it! It’s a strange ingredient, and totally optional… but you should try lemons here at least once. The rind bakes up in the oven and becomes tender and delicious. It’s truly unique.

For me, there is nothing more comforting than pizza for dinner, and with a recipe like this, you can get there in under 30 minutes. It also feels a lot brighter and lighter than other styles of pizza — we thanked the lemons and arugula for that — so we’ll be making this all summer long. Because we haven’t mastered pizza dough yet, we used Trader Joe’s refrigerated whole wheat pizza dough for a super simple crust. Use whatever dough you like — shortcuts acceptable

Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onions, and Prosciutto Pizza

Adapted from use real butter and The Pioneer Woman Cooks

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 batch of pizza dough
• flour and salt, for sprinkling
• 4 oz prosciutto, cut into bite-sized strips
• olive oil
• fresh arugula
• 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 lemon, sliced thin and quartered or cut into 6ths (we used a meyer lemon)

Preheat the oven to 500°F with pizza stone or thin baking sheet on the bottom rack.

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for one minute. Add brown sugar. Continue to sauté for 10-15 minutes until the onions are soft, sweet, and brownish. Remove from heat.

If you’re using a foil-covered baking sheet for your pizza (like us), rub a little olive oil on a large piece of foil and then sprinkle some flour over it before dropping the dough on the surface. Sprinkle some olive oil on the dough and stretch or roll it out to desired size and thickness.

Sprinkle some salt on the dough and then distribute the toppings: arugula, caramelized onions, goat cheese, prosciutto, and lemon slices. Slide the foil and flatbread onto the stone or baking sheet that you have preheated in the oven (just take the sheet out of the oven, slide the foil with the pizza on top and toss it back into the oven) and bake for 15 minutes or until desired doneness.

Tags: dinner, lemon, pizza