Caprese Pizza Two Ways

This rustic Caprese Pizza cooked from scratch is the ideal meal. It's packed with flavor and allows you to use up fresh farmers market tomatoes and basil from your own herb garden! While ordering pizza is easier, we've developed a passion for creating our own. The dough is usually the most difficult component. You can either buy a pre-made crust or even get fresh dough from a local shop. We go to Nor Joe's because they're right down the street! Nor Joe sells toppings, but there are a plethora of other options! We usually cook one traditional pepperoni and mushroom pizza and then a variety of other styles, depending on our mood. In this house, we've been a little obsessed with Caprese pizza.

Caprese Pizza 

• 16 oz ball of fresh pizza dough, homemade or store-bought

• 1 cup marinara sauce

• 8 oz fresh mozzarella, drained (if in water) and pat dry, then thinly sliced

• 1-2 Creole or roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves

• 1/4 cup NOLA Blends 12 Riserva Balsamic

• Optional: Cornmeal if using a pizza stone or brick oven
  
• Optional: You can flavor the edge of the crust with any of NOLA blends Infused olive oils. Basil, Garlic, Classic Italian, Garlic Mushroom to name a few!

Instructions 

1. If you're using your own from-scratch dough, preheat the oven as per your recipes instructions. If store-bought, preheat the oven as per the directions on the packaging.
2. On a lightly oiled pizza pan, work your dough out and form your pizza. If you're using a pizza stone, skip the oil and sprinkle cornmeal over the surface to keep the dough from sticking. Once you've got a nice round pizza dough going, spoon and evenly spread 1 cup of marinara sauce over it, leaving about 1/2 - 1 inch of space at the edges for your crust.
3. Place the slices of mozzarella cheese over the sauce leaving enough space in between for the tomato slices, then proceed by placing the tomato slices in between mozzarella slices. (You'll likely be left with some extra mozzarella; save it, or do as we do and just eat it.) Take half of the basil leaves, tear them in halves, and evenly distribute them over the pizza.
4. Place in the oven and bake according to your recipes instructions or, if using store-bought, use the package's instructions. With fresh dough, you typically want to bake it at 425° F for 15-20 minutes, or until the dough has crisped and turned golden in color (time will vary by oven). Always double check with the dough recipe/package you're using, though. When done, let the pizza sit to cool off for about 5-10 minutes before cutting into it. Right before cutting into it, drizzle it with NOLA Blends 12 Riserva Barrel Aged Balsamic, and garnish with the rest of the fresh basil leaves. You could also drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil over the pizza, and add freshly cracked black pepper.

Lite Caprese With Turkey Pepperoni

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup self rising flour

• 1/4 cup pizza sauce

• 2 oz. light mozzarella 

• 14pc turkey pepperoni

• 1 tsp of grated parmesan

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning.

• 3-4 torn basil leaves

• 2 tsp NOLA Blends 12 Riserva Barrel Aged Balsamic 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, Greek yogurt and Italian seasoning in a mixing bowl.

2. Sprinkle a little extra flour on the tabletop or whatever surface you plan on using to knead the dough. Place the dough ball on top, kneading it with your hands. If it sticks to your hands, sprinkle a little extra flour on it. Knead for about 3-4 times, until it’s a pliable dough.

3. Spread the dough out on a parchment-lined cookie sheet to roll dough ) I spray my pizza roller with non stick cooking, to keep the dough from sticking) until it’s about 1/4″ thick, and cover with marinara and add a dash of pepper flakes( it’s life changing), cheese, and the toppings of your choice. I love to add 1 tsp of grated Parmesan cheese on top to give it a bit more flavor.

4. Cook in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust has puffed up and is lightly golden and all of the cheese has melted. Put torn basil leaves on top the last 3 minutes of cooking.

5. Remove from oven and drizzle with NOLA Blends 12 Riserva