A pizza is a dish typically made of flattened bread dough topped with a savoury and delightful mixture of different vegetables and meats and then baked to sumptuous perfection. Pizza is of Italian origin but has already found its way to the hearts of millions of people worldwide. In fact, in the United States, pizza is probably one of the most favourite snacks of all time.
There is real argument whether eating pizza is such a healthy choice. Pizza may be often classified as junk food but a lot of health experts beg to differ. The basic ingredients of pizza technically have a lot of healthy potentials; it’s when you go overboard with the toppings or the actual amount of pizza you eat that makes it earn such a bad rep.
Still craving for pizza without the fear of nutritional breakdown? Try this recipe for a healthier take on your all-time favourite snack:
Ingredients:
For the pizza:
Pizza dough (1 whole batch: homemade or store-bought)
Garlic (1 head; roasted)
Cherry tomatoes (2 cups)
Almond ricotta (recipe below: 2 cups; or regular ricotta)
Arugula (2 cups)
Basil (1 bunch)
Pine nuts (2 tbsp; toasted)
Balsamic sauce (2 tbsp; recipe below)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
For Almond Ricotta:
Almond (2cups; blanched or slivered), must be soaked in water for 6 hours)
Water (1 cup)
Salt (1 pinch)
For balsamic sauce:
Balsamic vinegar (2 cups)
Preparation:
Get a medium to large pizza tray, place the dough and bake according to the instructions at the package. Set aside once done.
Preheat oven to 400 deg. F. Line a rimmed pan with parchment paper and place the cherry tomatoes on it. Put a bit of cooking oil plus a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bake the cherry tomatoes for about 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven once it starts to split open or if the tomatoes are already soft.
Place the almond ricotta (or regular ricotta), basil and roasted garlic into the food processor. Blend well. Add salt to taste.
Top the pizza crust with the baked cherry tomatoes, arugula and pine nuts. Drizzle with balsamic sauce once done.
To create the almond ricotta:
After soaking it in water for 6 hours, drain the almonds. Place in the food processor and blend well with salt and water until creamy.
To create the balsamic sauce:
Place the vinegar into a saucepan and simmer for 30-40 minutes over medium flame. Do this until the mixture is reduced to half with its consistency turning thick.
