Valentin’s Pizza

Valentin’s way of showing he liked Cathlynn in Blackmailed Bride was to bake the muffins and pizza she asked for, even if they fell outside his usual repertoire. Pizza is one of those versatile foods. You can put just about anything on a crust and turn it into a meal. Blame Bertucci’s for this recipe. I have no idea what the real recipe is for their Carmine Pizza, but this is my version.

Valentin’s Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough recipe, homemade or store bought
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 large onions, thinly sliced
- 6 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 oz. sliced fresh mozzarella
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 12 large basil leaves, tightly rolled and thinly sliced
Instructions
- Prepare pizza dough according to recipe.
- Preheat oven to 450° F.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat well, then cover the skillet. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the onions are soft and are caramel brown all over. To get that lovely color, the onions need to be cooked slowly over low heat and this can take up to 45 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and garlic, sauté for 10-15 minutes or until tomatoes are softened and sauce thickened. Season with salt and pepper and cool.
- Spoon little mounds of sauce over the crust and spread with the back of a spoon. Layer with the caramelized onions. Scatter the mozzarella and Parmesan over the tomato sauce and onions. Sprinkle with the basil.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust and cheese are golden. Remove pizza from oven, brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the crust.
Notes
From Blackmailed Bride
See also Cathlynn’s Media Muffins
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