I have a super quick, super tasty recipe to share with you today! A delicious caramelized bell pepper and tomato flatbread pizza. Seriously, this pizza is so good, and so so easy!
The taste is the best part, but the next best part is that this is an easy 30-minute meal. Does it get much better than that? I enjoy this flatbread pizza as a nice gourmet lunch, or as a light dinner with a salad. And there is something about the caramelized veggies, beautiful colors, and flavor combination that just makes you feel…well…fancy when you eat it. (:
A few quick notes:
You can totally use whatever bell pepper you have on hand, or whatever is the cheapest bell pepper at the grocery store. I like to use orange bell peppers for this recipe because I am in love with the color!
Also, I prefer to make two mini pizzas with this recipe, but you could also make one regular-sized pizza. You will probably want to add more cheese, and you will have to cook it longer, so plan accordingly.
For the basil chiffonade, I know it sounds like a hard thing to do, but it totally isn’t! Simply take your basil leaves, lay them on top of each other, and then roll them up so it looks like you’ve got a little basil cigar. Then take your knife and slice that basil cigar so you end up with thin little ribbons of basil. So pretty and so easy! Fun fact: chiffonade actually means “little ribbons” in French.
And lastly, USE FRESHLY GRATED CHEESE!!!! Just do it. It doesn’t take long, and you will taste the difference!
Ok, now go make this gorgeous and easy flatbread pizza and tell me how you like it!
Caramelized Bell Pepper and Tomato Flatbread Pizza
Ingredients
For the veggies:
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, chopped (I like orange because the color is gorgeous!)
- ¾ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Everything else:
- 2 flatbreads, pitas, or personal-sized pizza crusts
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade
- 3-5 pieces Gardein, fried in a skillet
- 1 cup mozzarella, freshly grated
- ½ cup parmesan, freshly grated
- Balsamic Vinegar, for drizzling (optional but highly recommended)
Instructions
Cook the onion and the bell pepper
- Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and ½ tsp salt. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion begins to brown a bit and the pan gets a little dry.
- Now add the bell pepper, and turn the heat down to medium low. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. The bell pepper will release its juices.
Cook the tomatoes
- Add the last Tbsp of oil, and turn the heat up to medium. Now add the tomatoes. Stir to incorporate everything in the skillet, and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until the tomatoes release their juices, and begin to brown a bit. Turn the heat down to low, add 1 Tbsp of the basil, and cook for 5 more minutes.
Prepare the Gardein
- If you haven’t already, you can fry your Gardein while the tomatoes cook. Fry your Gardein in a separate skillet, and then chop into ½ inch pieces. Set aside.
Put it all together
- Put your flatbreads, or whatever type of crust you decided to use, on a cookie sheet, and distributed half of the bell pepper/tomato/onion mixture on each flatbread. Top each flatbread with ½ cup mozzarella, followed by ¼ cup parmesan. Then evenly distribute the Gardein pieces on top of the cheese.
Bake and enjoy!
- Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese is slightly browned on top.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle the remaining Tbsp of basil evenly over each pizza, and drizzle a little bit of balsamic vinegar over the top if desired.
- Serve with a salad for a delicious, super quick meal! (:
