Antipasto Pizza
Antipasto pizza – a pizza with salad as its topping – might sound like a complete oxymoron. But think about it. Antipasto pizza is really just a delicious pile of veggies, meat and cheese that you scoop into your mouth with a crispy, yummy crust as the vehicle rather than a fork. And now that has me thinking, should I be eating more food with pizza crust instead of utensils?? Let me think about this and I’ll get back to you.
Pizza has been a lot of things in the timeline of our lives: party food, dinner while watching TGIF, buying a couple slices with babysitting money, frozen from the Schwann man, or post-party/pre-hangover food in college. It has always been a comfort food and a meal of convenience, but at the same time, it was always a special treat.
Is it a salad? Is it pizza? It's both! And we think that makes it perfect for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Fancy or casual! Make it any way you like, and we promise it will become a regular in your meal rotation!
- 1 package raw prepared store-bought pizza dough You could also use precooked, such as Boboli
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1/2 t fresh basil crumbled
- 1/8-1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 2 1/2 oz can pitted black olives, sliced
- 1 6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts undrained
- 3 c broccoli flowerets and tender stems (about half a bunch)
- 1/2 c green beans cut into 1 inch lengths (about 2 oz)
- 2 T apple cider vinegar
- 2 t finely chopped shallots or onions
- 1 small sweet yellow or red pepper, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch strips
- 3 radishes, thinly sliced
- 12-18 slices salami cut into triangles
- 2 c shredded crisp lettuce such as romaine, escarole, and/or iceberg
- 3 medium tomatoes each cut into about 8 wedges
- alfalfa sprouts for garnish optional
- chopped parsley for garnish optional
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Prepare pizza dough. We stretched ours on a floured surface and baked it at 425 for 12 minutes on a cookie sheet.
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Combine oil, basil, red pepper flakes, cheese, olives, and undrained artichoke hearts in a medium sized bowl. Stir to mix. Marinate in refrigerator for 2-3 hours, stirring once or twice
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Meanwhile, cook broccoli and green beans in large saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and plunge into ice water to stop cooking and chill. Drain. Refrigerate.
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About 30 minutes before serving, add broccoli, green beans, vinegar, shallot, pepper, radishes, and salami to marinated cheese mixture. Toss to mix.
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Arrange tomato wedges around outside edge, overlapping them slightly. Spread lettuce over pizza bread to cover the center. Sprinkle salt and pepper over antipasto mixture to taste, and then using a slotted spoon, spoon the mixture over lettuce. Drizzle any remaining dressing from the bowl over the tomatoes. Garnish with sprouts and sprinkle with parsley.
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Serve immediately using a serrated knife to slice.
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We ate some pizza, and then as an experiment, put it back in the oven for 12 minutes at 350. We loved the slightly charred antipasto and melted cheese. So many options!
