Easy Eggplant And Tomato Pizza Recipes

EGGPLANT, TOMATO, AND FONTINA PIZZA

Steps:

• Prepare pizza toppings:
• Sprinkle eggplant with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a colander and let drain in sink, turning slices occasionally, 30 minutes.
• Finely chop together basil, mint, and garlic. Toss with tomatoes in a bowl, then drain in a sieve set over bowl.
• Preheat broiler.
• Rinse eggplant, then pat dry in batches between paper towels, pressing firmly to remove excess liquid. Brush both sides of slices with oil (about 4 tablespoons total) and form small stacks, then cut stacks into quarters. Arrange eggplant pieces in 1 layer in 2 shallow heavy baking pans and broil, 1 pan at a time, about 5 to 6 inches from heat, turning eggplant over once, until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes per batch. Cool eggplant to room temperature.
• Put pizza stone in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 500°F (allow 1 hour for pizza stone to heat).
• Assemble pizzas:
• Do not punch down dough. Gently dredge 1 piece of dough in flour to coat, then transfer to a sheet of parchment paper set on baking peel or baking sheet. Holding 1 edge of floured dough in the air with both hands and letting bottom touch parchment, carefully move hands around edge of dough (like turning a steering wheel), allowing weight of dough to stretch it to a round roughly 10 inches in diameter. Lay round on parchment and adjust shape as needed.
• Discard any liquid exuded from tomatoes and toss tomatoes with remaining tablespoon oil and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in bowl. Brush dough round with oil and scatter half of eggplant, half of tomatoes, and half of cheese over it, leaving a 1-inch border around edge. Line up far edge of peel with far edge of pizza stone and tilt peel down, jerking it gently to start pizza moving. Slide pizza, along with parchment, onto stone and bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove pizza from oven by sliding peel under paper. Transfer pizza to a cutting board and discard parchment.
• While first pizza is baking, assemble second pizza on another sheet of parchment, then bake in same manner.

EGGPLANT AND TOMATO PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly oil 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and onion and sauté until vegetables soften and brown lightly, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Unroll pizza dough. Fit into prepared pan, pressing up at edges to create 1-inch-high rim. Spread eggplant mixture evenly over bottom of crust. Arrange tomatoes over. Sprinkle with cheese and marjoram.
• Bake until topping is heated through and edges of pizza are brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Cut into squares.

GRILLED PIZZA WITH GRILLED EGGPLANT AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Prepare a hot grill. If you wish, marinate the eggplant slices in a vinaigrette dressing for 15 minutes before grilling (this is an optional step). Oil the hot grill rack with olive oil, either by brushing with a grill brush or by dipping a folded wad of paper towels in olive oil and using tongs to rub the rack with it. Brush the eggplant slices lightly with olive oil and season with salt. Place on the hot grill, not quite directly over the hottest heat, and grill for about 5 minutes, until charred. Turn the pieces over and grill for another 5 minutes. If they are getting too black too quickly, move away from the direct heat. They need to cook long enough so that they're charred on the outside and creamy and soft in the middle. Remove from the heat and cut into bite-size wedges. Set aside.
• Place a round of dough on a lightly dusted baker's peel or rimless baking sheet. Slide the pizza dough from the peel or baking sheet onto the grill rack. If the dough has just come from the freezer and is easy to handle, you can just place it on the rack without bothering with the peel. Close the lid of the grill - the vents should be closed --- and set the timer for 2 minutes.
• Lift up the grill lid. The surface of the dough should display some big air bubbles. Using tongs, lift the dough to see if it is evenly browning on the bottom. Rotate the dough to assure even browning. Keep it on the grill, moving it around as necessary, until it is nicely browned, with grill marks. Watch closely so that it doesn't burn. When it is nicely browned on the bottom (it may be blackened in spots), use tongs or a spatula to slide the dough onto the baking sheet or peel, and remove from the grill. Cover the grill again.
• Make sure that there is still some flour on the peel or baking sheet and flip the dough over so that the uncooked side is now on the bottom. Brush the top lightly with oil, then top with a thin layer of marinara sauce (no more than 1/4¼ cup). Arrange eggplant pieces and cherry tomatoes, cut side up or down, on top of the marinara sauce. Sprinkle with hot red pepper flakes and thyme or oregano. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Dot with feta or mozzarella or sprinkle with Parmesan. Drizzle on a little more olive oil.
• Slide the pizza back onto the grill. If using a gas grill, reduce the heat to medium-high. Close the lid and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, until the bottom is brown. Open the grill and check the pizza; the top should be hot. If you feel that it needs more time but the bottom is getting too dark, move the pizza to a cooler part of the grill and close the top. Use a spatula or tongs to remove the pizza to a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve. Repeat with the other two crusts.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO PIZZA

Steps:

• preheat oven to 450.
• arrange eggplant slices in single layer on greased baking tray.
• sprinkle eggplant slices with salt, bake until soft and golden (5 minutes per side).
• turn heat up to 515 and place pizza stone in oven.
• roll out pizza dough on cornmeal coated paddle, lightly coat with oil.
• sprinkle dough with mozzarella and arrange eggplant in a spoke pattern (leave edges bare).
• sprinkle with tomatoes and dot with pesto.
• bake 8-10 minutes.

GREEK EGGPLANT, TOMATO, AND FETA PIZZA

Steps:

• Mix together the first 6 ingredients in a bowl; set aside.
• Cut the eggplant crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices.
• Brush both sides of the eggplant with oil; put slices on a foil-lined baking sheet.
• Broil for 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
• Place eggplant evenly over the pizza crust (I sprinkle ever so lightly with salt).
• Top with tomato mixture.
• Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450° for 8-10 minutes or until heated.
• Serve immediately.