Caprese Goat Cheese Pizza

Monday, Monday, Monday.

Pizza, pizza, pizza.

They kinda balance each other out, don’t they? Maybe? A little bit?

OK, so there is no magic cure for the hum-drum of Mondays, but my hope is that this pizza will brighten up your day a smidge. I ate it last week, and it’s still making me happy (except for the fact that it’s currently all gone)! It’s one of the very first things I ever cooked for my husband back when we were “living in sin,” and it’s remained a favorite of ours since then. With good reason. It’s many of my food obsessions combined on one pizza.

Yes. Let’s do this.

First, I take softened goat cheese (obsession numero uno) and season it with yummy things, spread it out on homemade pizza dough, top it with sweet caramelized onions and red bell pepper (obsessions numero dos and tres), AND THEN throw a caprese salad (obsession numero cuatro) on top! Complete with balsamic vinegar and basil (cinco and seis)! OMG!

Not to mention the fact that it is PRETTY. Pretty food makes me happy, too. All food consumed on Mondays should be pretty. New rule.

While the summer Jersey tomatoes haven’t come in yet, I’ve noticed a serious improvement in the way tomatoes have been looking at the store these days. Usually I wait until tomato season is in full swing to make caprese anything, but I just couldn’t hold out this time. It was necessary.

So, if you’re looking for a Monday pick me up, or just a reason to eat something delicious…make this pizza. It’s easy and a total flavor BOMB.

OK, now I’m getting sad again that it’s all gone….

Ho hum.

Caprese Goat Cheese Pizza

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• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

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• 1 lb pizza dough
• Flour, for rolling out the dough
• Cornmeal, for the dough

For the Caramelized Onions & Peppers:

• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Olive oil

For the Goat Cheese Layer:

• 4 oz goat cheese, softened
• 1 garlic clove, grated or very finely minced
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• Salt and pepper

For the Toppings:

• 2–3 vine or Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
• Fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
• Balsamic vinegar
• Grated parmesan cheese

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Instructions

For the Caramelized Onions & Peppers:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the onions, peppers, and olive oil. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft and translucent.
2. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions and peppers are sweet and caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the Goat Cheese Layer:

1. Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

To Assemble:

1. Roll the dough out to desired shape/thickness and preheat the oven to 475°F.
2. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to preheat.
3. Sprinkle a baking sheet or pizza peel (for the pizza stone method) with cornmeal.
4. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet/pizza peel. Drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil and then spread the goat cheese mixture all over in an even layer.
5. Top with the peppers and onions, spreading out evenly. Then, layer the mozzarella and tomatoes alternatively all over the top.
6. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and finish with a grating of parmesan cheese.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the bottom of the crust is crisp and brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
8. Remove and immediately garnish with fresh basil leaves. Allow to cool slightly, slice, and serve!