Don’t run away yet! I promise this isn’t a whackado recipe thought up to torture you into eating more veggies. You see, I don’t have some terrible childhood memory of brussel sprouts being forced down my throat. Nobody tried to convince me that the boiled, greying mess on my plate was actually really delicious despite the odor of dirty socks floating in the air. In fact, I had never even had a b-sprout until I hit my early twenties.
Out of the blue my father started serving these bright green, beautifully fragrant leaves that had been sauteed in garlic and olive oil and lightly sprinkled with peperoncino (red pepper flakes). He had found a recipe for sauteed brussel sprout leaves in one of Lidia’s books and never looked back; this is now a much-anticipated side dish in our family. The idea of brussel sprout pizza may be easier for me to digest than for some because I wasn’t scarred early-on in life but trust me on this one. You want to reintroduce yourself to this wondrous green.
Lately, I’ve taken to roasting the brussel sprouts at 375* for about 30 minutes – it’s as delicious as my dad’s method but much less labor intensive. Just tear off the outer leaves, slice those bad boys in half, toss on a baking sheet with whatever you like (I’m partial to garlic olive oil or balsamic vinegar), and roast away.
Earlier this week, Joy posted about a shaved brussel sprout salad and I thought, man, that would be great on a pizza. Pineapple on pizza is one of the most outrageously delicious flavors known to (wo)man, particularly if you caramelize the pineapple on the stove top first. Unfortunately, I did not have any pineapple to use on Monday night so this pizza? Not the pineapple pizza I envisioned. Instead, I used Joy’s method of ribbon-izing the brussel sprouts but came up with a totally different flavor profile. The result? Way too good to only eat 1 slice.
These brussel sprouts contained the best of both worlds – caramelized and garlicky from their time in the saute pan and then charred and crispy from their blast of heat in the oven. Pizza is one of the things my oven actually does well because you want the oven hot, hot, hot. Be prepared for a new best friend in the veggie world. I promise this will not disappoint.
Brussel Sprout Pizza
1 whole wheat pizza dough (I used Trader Joe’s 100% whole wheat – just half, though, since it was just for me. I froze the other half for another time.)
1/2 package of fresh mozzarella, grated (or whole package for large pizza)
6 large brussel sprouts (more if you’re going for the whole pizza) – outer leaves removed and then thinly-sliced into “ribbons” (some of my ribbons were more like thing brussel sprout disks…s’all good).
1/2 white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
garlic clove, crushed into the pan
peperoncino for sprinkling
about a teaspoon of olive oil
Preheat the pizza stone in the oven at 500*. If you don’t have a stone, it’s fine to spread the dough onto a baking sheet. I would suggest a temp of 425* for that, no need to preheat the pan.
Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until they begin to become soft and translucent. Add the b-sprouts and continue the mixture on the stove until the onions turn a rich golden brown – caramelization! Now add the crushed garlic and cook for about a minute more. Sprinkle with peperoncino (more if you like the heat, less if you’re more of a mild woman…man…whatever).
In the meantime, roll out your pizza dough (or spread into a pan). If using the peel, spread cornmeal evenly, covering all edges, and transfer the dough to the peel. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella onto the dough and then spread the sauteed veggies on top. Bake for 10 minutes (15 mins if using the pan) or until the edges of the dough are starting to brown (you know how a pizza should look!).
No, I did not eat this one measly slice. I ate 3/4 of the pie for dinner and then brought the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Is it wrong to mourn the end of a pizza?
happyaspie 