fairytale eggplant pizza

i couldn't resist buying these miniature striped eggplants at the market, and their adorable name doesn't hurt. these young eggplant are tender, not bitter and are lovely sauted in a little garlic and olive oil as a side to your meal. or, you can take it a step further and make this delicious recipe for fairytale eggplant pizza.

whip up a batch of your favorite recipe for pizza dough  (in a pinch, try this recipe with 2 cups whole wheat flour subbed for part of the bread flour) or set out your favorite store brand.

slice them in half lengthwise, and cut into thin strips.

heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat, add cut up eggplant, and salt and pepper to your taste.

when the eggplant starts to brown and change to a silkier texture, take it off the heat. you can set them aside to cool while you ready the rest of your pizza.

roll, or press out your pizza dough into a roughly 10-12" circle. i just used my fingers to slowly stretch the dough out into its shape, leaving a little extra around the edge for a nice crust. transfer the crust to a generously oiled baking sheet.

drizzle the crust with olive oil, and start to pile on your toppings:

i started with heirloom tomatoes.

then i layered on the sauted eggplant. topped off with fresh mozzarella cheese, blotted with a paper towel to remove some moisture.

bake in the oven until the crust is lightly browned on the bottom, about 25 minutes. let cool slightly until the toppings set, and scatter thinly sliced basil on the top of your pizza.

slice and eat!

fairytale eggplant pizza with heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil

serves 2-3 per pizza, makes 2 - 10" pizzas

ingredients:

1 batch pizza dough, try this recipe with half whole wheat flour

4 fairytale eggplants, sliced thinly

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 large or 2 small heirloom tomatoes, sliced thinly

5 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced and blotted with paper towel

2 tbsp basil, chiffonade
2 tbsp finely grated parmesan or romano cheese

more olive oil for greasing pan
salt and pepper to taste

directions:

1.   preheat oven to 450 degrees F. press out half of your pizza dough into a 10"-11" circle.  drizzle a baking sheet generously with olive oil, and transfer your crust to the pan. repeat with the second half. drizzle your circles lightly with olive oil.

2.   layer on the heirloom tomato slices, then the eggplant slices, then the mozzarella cheese. bake the pizzas until the crust lightly browns on the bottom, and the  cheese is fully melted, about 20 minutes.

3.   let the pizza rest and cool slightly for 5-10 minutes. when the toppings and cheese have set, transfer to a cutting board. scatter the basil over the top, and if desired the grated parmesan/romano. slice and enjoy!


notes: 

be sure to let your mozzarella slices rest on paper towels and blot the excess moisture from them. otherwise, your pizza may be a bit watery. if your tomato is extra juicy, you can blot the slices as well!

regular eggplant works just as well in this recipe, if you can't find the fairytale version.

i froze one of the pizzas for a later date, and it was just as delicious, reheated in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. perfect for a busy weeknight!