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.

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.

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.

EASY EGGPLANT AND TOMATO PIZZA

Steps:

• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Place eggplant in a baking pan. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic powder, and basil; toss to coat.
• Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely. Remove from the oven and mix in tomato. Put back in the oven and broil until eggplant is soft and just a bit golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes; be careful it doesn't burn. Remove from the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Grease a pizza pan or cookie sheet with remaining olive oil. Spread pizza dough to fit, using more dough for thick crust and less for thin. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese on top of the dough, then the eggplant-tomato mixture, and finally remaining mozzarella.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND BUFFALO MOZZARELLA PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the dough: Mix the yeast, warm water and olive oil in the bowl of an electric stand mixer or food processor, and let the mixture sit until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add in flour and salt, and using the dough hook or food processor blade, beat or pulse it until a smooth, slightly elastic dough forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Lightly coat a bowl with olive oil, place dough in the bowl, and turn the dough to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, place in the refrigerator and let it sit overnight.
• Divide the dough in quarters, and shape each piece into a tight, compact ball. Place the dough balls on a lightly oiled baking sheet or plate, loosely cover with plastic wrap and let them rise in the refrigerator another 1 to 2 hours (or up to 6 hours).
• When ready to bake the pizzas, place racks in the top third and bottom third of the oven. Put a pizza stone on top rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Prepare the toppings: On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the eggplant generously with oil, salt and pepper. Roast eggplant on the bottom rack until caramelized and tender, 40 to 45 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from the oven and raise the oven heat to 500 degrees.
• On a piece of parchment paper, stretch out one of the balls of dough to a 12-inch round. Spread 2 tablespoons tomato purée on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Scatter on 1/4 of the sliced garlic, a large pinch of red-pepper flakes and drizzle with oil to taste.
• Arrange 1/4 of the roasted eggplant on top. Use a pizza peel or cookie sheet to slide the parchment onto the pizza stone. Bake until crispy and golden on the top and bottom, 7 to 10 minutes. Use tongs to pull the pizza out of the oven and onto a wire rack to cool.
• Immediately top with chunks of cheese, pulling it apart with your hands into bite-size pieces. Top with basil, more oil to taste and flaky sea salt. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.

EGGPLANT PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Lightly oil a oven-safe dish. Wash and cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Place the eggplant slices evenly in the dish.
• Mix the oil, garlic, basil, and oregano and drizzle over the eggplant evenly. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the eggplants begin to brown. Remove from oven.
• Flip over each slice of eggplant. Place cheese on top of each slice, then cover all the slices evenly with tomato sauce. Return to oven.
• Cook for another 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melting and bubbling. Remove from oven. Serve alone or with pasta or risotto.