My father orders a side salad whenever we have pizza. I remember as a child always wondering why he would take a bite of pizza, then a bite of salad. He loved the combination of hot, cheesy, spicy pizza followed by the cold, crunchy freshness of the salad.
In 2011, my father & I took a trip to the Big Apple..NYC!! On our last day there, we ordered a pizza that was topped with arugula & thick slices of fresh tomatoes. Garnished with fresh parmesan cheese & a thick drizzle of olive oil. This pizza was quite simply...wonderful! I remember taking this photo, before I even took a bite. Until this point in my life, I had never seen such a beautiful pizza presented to me before.
After this trip I had a whole new appreciation for this type of pizza. If you have never had a pizza topped with cool, crisp greens then you are missing out!
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What You Will Need: Pizza dough, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, garlic, onions, fresh basil, parmesan cheese, corn meal, vinaigrette dressing, tomatoes & mixed greens or fresh arugula.
If you choose to use fresh mozzarella, it should come packaged in some milky liquid. I like to remove the cheese and drain the extra liquid onto a paper towel so it doesn't get too wet on the pizza.
Preheat your oven to 425.
Sprinkle the corn meal over the baking dish & roll out your pizza dough.
Mince the garlic & press it right into the dough.
**apologize for not taking a better photo**
Thinly slice the onion and like the garlic, press it into the dough. Place in the oven to par bake.
While the pizza is in the oven, place your mixed greens into a bowl.
Add in sliced tomatoes or any salad additions that you like. Onions, olives, beets, cucumbers, etc..
Sprinkle with salt/pepper and a light coating of vinaigrette. Use store bought or make your own. I take the short cut. Toss & set aside.
Once the dough has color, remove from the oven.
Place pieces of mozzarella over the top.
Then lots of pepperonis & parmesan cheese. Place it back in the oven till all the cheese is melted and the crust is to your liking.
Sprinkle with plenty of fresh basil.
If you have friends or family that are not into the whole idea of the salad part, go ahead and slice the pizza.
Then....take your slice
pile it high with the greens &
give an extra, lovely sprinkle of parmesan cheese
Talk about pizza with some extra class!!
Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!
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