Two words, Toga Eggplant. Ever heard of them? I found them at a local farmer’s market and they were too cute not to pass up. I spent some time trying to figure out just exactly what I was going to do with them. But I figured an Eggplant Parm Pizza didn’t sound too bad and ran from there.
the process
Let’s talk dough. I like to make my own, this is my pizza dough recipe. If you have the time, I highly recommend you make your own, if not, no worries you can buy pizza dough from nearly any super market or even your local pizza place!
I ended up quartering the eggplant, and tossing with olive oil and spices. Fear not, you are more than welcome to use a regular eggplant, simply slice into thin pieces (slice pretty thin as they need to cook with the pizza).
So you stretch the dough out to your size of liking. If you like a thicker crust, don’t spread it out as much, if you like a thinner crust, spread it out more, easy peasy. Start with the fresh mozzarella placed on the dough, then the tomato slices, then the quartered eggplant, followed by dollops of pesto and finished with fresh parmesan and a sprinkle of dried oregano. YUM!
final product
This delicious, light pizza is ready in about 1 hour or 45 minutes if you’re speedy, so it can be a great weeknight meal, weekend meal, or really anytime you want it. It’s just really good and wholesome.
[recipe title=”Eggplant Parm Pizza” servings=”4-6″ time=”1hr” difficulty=”easy”]
Great, easy, delicious dinner for your next pizza night! It comes together easy and is ready quick.
[recipe-ingredients]
– 1 pizza dough (approximately 1/2 pound)
– 1 cup quartered toga eggplant, or 1/2 regular eggplant sliced thin
– 1/4 cup olive oil
– 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
– Pinch of crushed red pepper
– 1 8 ounce ball of fresh mozzarella, torn by hand into chunks
– 2 Vine ripened tomatoes, sliced
– 3/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
– 3 tablespoons pesto (can be jarred or fresh)
– Pinch of dried oregano
– Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
[/recipe-ingredients]
[recipe-directions]
1. Preheat oven to 500°F. Grease sheet pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Place dough on pan and spread out to however thick you like the crust.
2. Place eggplant into a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix together.
3. Put torn mozzarella pieces all over crust. Next add the sliced tomatoes, followed by eggplant, dollops of pesto, parmesan, and finish with a sprinkle of dried oregano.
4. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake another 5-6 minutes. If you find it needs longer, keep adding time in increments of 1 minute. Or if the top isn’t browned enoug, feel free to broil, but be careful not to burn.
5. Remove from oven and finish with extra parmesan and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. Enjoy!
[/recipe-directions]
[recipe-notes]
Tips & Tricks: The toga eggplants were a fun find at a local farmer’s market, but feel free to use regular eggplant, just slice thinly. Personally, I like to top my slice with balsamic glaze which is a great addition.
[/recipe-notes]
[/recipe]
