Spinach Mushroom and Olive Pizza

In the slightly bizarre truths department, I must admit today that I don’t love pizza. Sure, I won’t ever push a slice off my plate, but it’s not something I generally crave. Ordering dinner for me usually means Chinese, while pizza is sadly delegated to the rare day when I’m not in the mood for Otto’s carbonara.

It’s a shame really, because pizza is one of those things that can be a cinch to put together and quite wholesome if done right (hear that, all you New Year’s dieters?). It can be seasonal, laden with vegetables and a real fridge-cleaner: top with whatever odds and ends you’ve got in the crisper. And if you’re the type who prefers not to spend hours waiting around for dinner on a weekday night, then make this tonight. We went from grocery bag to dinner plates in under an hour, and even that long only because I kept stopping to take pictures. I went with a pre-made whole wheat dough, thus further upping the speed (and uh, laziness) quotient.

I wanted a very thin crust, so I rolled the dough, which was for a 12-inch pizza, to an approximately 15-x-8-inch rectangle. While I didn’t get the cracker-like crust I wanted, this came pretty close, as the dough was about 1/8 of an inch thick in the middle. I’ll probably leave it in the oven for a little bit longer next time to see if I get my crunchy crust.

Also for next time, if I’m feeling a little daring, the dough itself seems relatively easy. I’ve got my eye on this recipe from 101 Cookbooks.

All the credit goes to my cousin for the idea and plan, as it was his turn to choose dinner tonight.

Spinach Mushroom and Olive Pizza

– 1 fresh 12-inch whole-wheat pizza dough, left at room temperature for 20 minutes (we used Trader Joe’s brand)

– Pizza sauce (again from Trader Joe’s, though I’m sure there’s an easy enough recipe out there)

– 12 ounces fresh mozzarella

– 3 slices Canadian bacon

– 6 ounces brown mushrooms, sliced

– 1/4 cup mixed pitted olives, sliced

– 6 ounces baby spinach, washed and dried

1) Flour your work surface liberally and roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness (for a super thin crust), flouring as necessary.

2) Transfer the crust to an oiled baking sheet or pizza stone. Top with the pizza sauce and then slices of the mozzarella. Add the mushrooms, olives, bacon and spinach.

3) Bake at 500ËšF for 9 minutes. Then broil for 4-7 minutes, until the cheese bubbles and browns and the crust is crisp.

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