Thursday, October 31, 2013

Eggplant and Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza

I have an obsession with making the best homemade pizza right now (thankfully, I've already mastered the sauce...and some no-yeast dough). As a result, it's hard for me to buy store-bought sauces or crusts anymore - they all just taste like the packages they're sold in. But when local company Rustic Crust (based out of Pittsfield, N.H.) reached out to me to help them celebrate National Pizza Month with their "My-Oh-Pie" Pizza Recipe Competition, I was intrigued.

The main reason I was interested in working with Rustic Crust was the ingredients they use. For instance, the ingredient list on their Crispy Thin Crust (which was used for this recipe) goes a little something like this: Unbleached/Unbromated Wheat Flour, Water, Natural Culture, Semolina Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Sea Salt, Honey, Yeast, Organic Soy Oil, Olive Oil.

Obviously, there are more ingredients in here than I'd use for my own dough, but I still love how everything is legible and real. No scary chemicals or words I can't pronounce.

For the My-Oh-Pie contest, I was asked to create a pizza recipe with Rustic Crust's sauce and one of their crusts. The recipe I developed is loaded with fresh flavors, varying textures, and a wonderful hit of fresh garlic in each bite.

Eggplant and Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza | The Economical Eater

Eggplant and Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza
Yields: 1 pizza (about 2-4 servings)
-1 small eggplant, cut into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
-2 tablespoons good olive oil
-1 clove garlic, minced
-Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
-Shredded mozzarella cheese 
-2 tablespoons of jarred sun-dried tomatoes
-1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Directions:
1.) Turn your broiler on. Arrange eggplant rounds on a foil-lined baking sheet. 
2.) In a small bowl, mix oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper together; brush oil mixture on both sides of eggplant. Broil for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and tender.
3.) When eggplant is done, turn oven down to 425. Spread sauce on crust and top with cheese. Then, layer on the eggplant slices, overlapping slightly. Dot sun-dried tomatoes all over pizza; sprinkle over dried basil. 
4.) Cook pizza in oven for 8 to 12 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and crust is golden brown.


Eggplant and Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza | The Economical Eater

I definitely had two slices of this for lunch...and two after the Red Sox game last night (that was after going out to dinner). This pizza is that good, and I was really impressed with how crispy and tasty the crust was - no cardboard flavor at all. The sauce was also nicely sweet with a great tomato flavor.

If I become one of five finalists in the My-Oh-Pie contest, I'll let you guys know!

What are your favorite pizza toppings?

P.S. Yay Red Sox!

Rustic Crust sent me their products in order for me to create a recipe. As always, all opinions are my own.


3 comments:

  1. That looks delish! And what great way to make use of eggplant, may have to try this!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I second Megan's love for eggplant on a pizza! We just finished pizza with green peppers, eggplants, and onions.

    ReplyDelete