Roasted Eggplant, Tomato, Pesto, Carmelized Onion and Chorizo Pizza

I made this pizza a few nights ago and MUST share the recipe with you... It's delicious, easy, and AWESOME! The crust recipe is from Pioneer Woman... very easy. I love this dough recipe; it doesn't require a mixer(even though she says to use one)...just your 2 hands and is a cinch. Make the dough in the morning, let it rise all day on the counter and Voila... delicious home made dough. I like to sneak in some dried herbs to the dough to make it even more scrumptious...like dried parsley, oregano, or basil.

My Favorite Pizza, Ever:

2 eggplants, sliced into 1/2" rounds
6 vine tomatoes, sliced
3 onions, sliced
chorizo
3 cloves garlic, minced
cheese of your choice, freshly grated
1 jar pesto
Olive oil


2 hours before dinner time: Lightly sprinkle your eggplant slices with salt and lay them in a colander in the sink. The salt will 'sweat' the eggplant and get all of the excess liquid out. Let them sweat for 1 hour, then rinse with water to get the salt off.

On a cookie sheet, sprinkle some olive oil and toss the eggplant and tomato. Roast in the oven until there are some nice looking black spots on the veggies. (Our oven does not have a broiler...I just put the oven on the highest temp and cook for about 10 minutes, then toss the veggies and do another 10 or so).

While the eggplant and tomatoes are roasting, heat a medium skillet on med hi with some olive oil and cook onions for A REALLY LONG TIME. Caramelize these babies... stir them constantly and let some of them get dark. They will be delicious. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add in the minced garlic.

Then, spread your homemade dough out on a cookie sheet using olive oil as needed. Paint the dough with a nice layer of pesto. Then layer on top of the pesto the caramelized onions and garlic. Next add the eggplant and tomatoes, then the chorizo slices. Finally, top with cheese. A nice touch would be some goat cheese too? Mmmmmmmm....

Cook in oven on 375 for 10 or so minutes.

Sit back relax, and enjoy!


Pioneer Woman's Easy Pizza Crust Recipe:

FOR THE CRUST (MAKES TWO CRUSTS):
1 teaspoon Active Dry Or Instant Yeast
4 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
⅓ cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
**I like to add2 tsp of dried oregano, parsley, or basil

TO MAKE THE CRUST:
**If you are not using a mixer, just use your hands to mix.

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water. In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.
Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it. ***It’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.