Pizza Night

I know. We live in a city with the best pizza this side of the Atlantic. But that doesn’t mean you have to hit a restaurant or order in every time you want the good stuff. In fact, sometimes making your own pizza is the only way to get it the way you want it. (Or the way SEVERAL of you want it.) Who can complain about that?!

Plus, making pizza at home is a great way to show the kiddos that their favorite foods can be made tasty at home using whole, all natural ingredients. They’re happy and you carry none of the guilt of having ordered in “junk” food… again. Because these pizzas are far from bad-for-you.
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Homemade pizza is way easier and less time consuming that you think, especially if you take advantage of the fact that we have such great pizza by buying dough from your favorite pizzeria. Half of the work and more than half of the time done, just like that. If you’re making a red pie, all that’s left is making the sauce (my rustic version, below, takes 45 minutes, mostly unattended), topping and baking. Easy as pie. So to speak!

Make a bunch of this sauce and freeze to have on hand. If you freeze it flat in a zip lock, it will defrost in no time.

One Hungry Mama Rustic Pizza Sauce
makes enough for 1 1/2-2 pies, depending on how saucy you like your pie

1 28-oz can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

1. Place ingredients in a pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally to break down pieces of tomato, for 45 minutes.

My favorite pizza to make at home is Pizza with an Egg. The yolk makes this simple pie rich and creamy, taking plain pizza to a whole new level. Plus, egg means extra protein. It’s a great vegetarian option and a lifesaver when there’s nothing left in the fridge.

Pizza with Egg
makes 1 12″ pie

olive oil
flour, for working pizza dough
1 round pizza dough
pizza sauce (see above)
shredded mozzarella (I use about 3 oz)
fresh mozzarella, about 3 or 4 slices
2 eggs
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the meantime, work your pizza dough into a 12″ round on a lightly floured surface. Place it on a lightly oiled baking sheet (or on a pizza stone).

2. Spread sauce over dough, leaving a 1/2″ rim. Then spread cheese evenly over the sauce. Bake for 15 minutes.

3. Take the almost-done pizza out of the oven and crack two eggs directly on the pie. Carefully place back in the oven and cook for another 10-13 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle the egg with a little salt and pepper and allow to rest for a couple of minutes. Just before serving, break the yolk and spread as evenly as possible over the whole pie. Cut and serve!

Another favorite is this Fig and Prosciutto pie. Sophisticated flavors, but so simple. And the best part is that you don’t need to make any sauce, so this is a seriously fast and easy meal.

Fig and Prosciutto Pizza
makes 1 12″ pie

1 round pizza dough
olive oil
3 tbsp orange, peach, or apricot marmalade
1/4 lb gorgonzola
1/4 lb prosciutto
5-6 fresh figs (or soaked dried figs)
salt and pepper
1 tbsp rosemary, chopped (optional)
balsamic vinegar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a rimmed cookie sheet with oil. Spread your pizza dough evenly over the oiled sheet, making a thicker crust around the edges. Spread olive oil over the top of the dough.

2. Use a small spoon to dot the dough with the marmalade. Crumble 1/2-3/4 of the cheese across the dough. Lay prosciutto across the dough (I like to split each slice in half). Dot the dough with fig quarters. Crumble the last bit of cheese across all of the toppings.

3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and rosemary, if using. Put in oven and bake for about 50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. If you like, drizzle the entire pizza with balsamic vinegar after about 40 minutes.

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Get more family-friendly recipes and tips on Stacie’s blog, One Hungry Mama
Kids change the way we cook, but they don’t have to change how well we eat.