CEiMB: Mushroom, Onion, and Basil Pizza

There are few things in this world I enjoy eating more than pizza. It has all my favorite things right there in one bite: carby goodness, tangy tomato sauce, gooey cheese, and whatever other yummy additions I may have laying around or am craving at the moment. Salty toppings like olives or pepperoni are a favorite of mine, but I also love the freshness veggies like bell peppers or spinach can add. I’m willing to try just about anything: macaroni and cheese on pizza, baked potato pizza, barbecue pork pizza, etc. etc. I really only draw the line at pineapple and anchovies, but maybe one day those will entice me as well. My current obsession is a veggie-stuffed calzone from a local pizza shop. Wheat crust, ricotta cheese, roasted red peppers, spinach, garlic, mushrooms, and spicy Sriracha sauce. Oh, yum.

So, yeah, I’m a big pizza fan. And now that I am also a big mushroom fan, I was really excited to see that Joanne over at Apple Crumbles chose this Mushroom, Onion, and Basil Pizza for CEiMB this week. It was delicious, just as I expected it to be. I only made two little changes to the recipe. First, I used whole wheat crust. I am probably one of the few people who actually prefers whole wheat versions of pizza crust, bread, pasta, etc. Second, I only used 2/3 cup of tomato sauce. I love saucey pizza as much as the next girl, but the jar we had on hand (Gia Russa’s Hot Sicilian) is a little on the runny side. I did not want a soggy pizza, so I erred on the side of caution and cut back a bit. Oh, I did make one other change… I added an extra 1/2 ounce of Parmesan cheese because, well, why not?

Mushroom, Onion, and Basil Pizza
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 small yellow onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10-ounce) pre-baked whole wheat pizza crust
2/3 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes, dry
4 ounces shredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 ounces shredded Parmesan
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a skillet over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until tender and most of the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and remove from the heat.

Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spread the sauce over the crust leaving a 1-inch border. Top with the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake until the crust is crisp and the cheese is nicely melted, about 13 minutes (or LESS if you don’t prefer well done pizza like we do!). Sprinkle with basil, cut into 6 slices and serve.

Source: Ellie Krieger’s “The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life”, p. 176
6 servings | 5 POINTS