Roasted Vegetable Pizza

Vegetables remind you of Spring right?! Spring is looooong overdue here in NY and I needed some Spring inspiration mixed with a heartier cold weather food. So this pizza is just what I needed. I am sure I have told you about the magic of roasted vegetables- they are so so sweet. Some of you may be like a 2 year old and pouting with your arms crossed and your face all scrunched up saying, "Ewwwww." Well don't be a baby and put them arms down. Have I ever really steered you wrong? The magic of roasting vegetables is the flavor it adds! As the water inside the veggies evaporates out, the flavor and sugars get concentrated- similar to how caramelizing onions makes them sweeter.

So the reason this roasted vegetable pizza was born was necessity. My husband and I are trying to eat less meat. Not necessarily become vegetarian, but just cut down on animal proteins. We all have our own reasons and I don't wanna convince you this is what you must do. We all walk our own road. But since I have been blogging about food, I have learned more about all things food. Meat in this country is mass produced, has all sorts of hormones and antibiotics and I am sure you can imagine the animals are not treated too well. I was blissfully ignorant. Ignorance is not bad, I didn't wanna know. So I want to try my best to eat farm raised meat when I can and cut back in general. I just want to share with all of you since you all read this blog. This is something I am trying out and trying on for size.

Why is this a Foodgasm?

The roasted vegetables are so beautifully sweet: bell peppers, onions, zuchinni and eggplant topped with fresh mozzarella and just a bit of fontina will make you do a little happy dance! Super easy too since my friend Trader Joe helped me- they make frozen park cooked stretched pizza crusts. That makes this wonderfully simple- with the veggies pre-roasted on Sunday it literally took me 5 minutes to put it together and after 15-20 minutes in the oven it was in my mouth and my belly! Happy dance #2 for EASY!

Healthy eating super tip- We all have time on a Sunday afternoon or evening. Do a lot of your weekly healthy eating prep on Sunday so you can be as busy as you want during the week and have healthy food ready to go. It can be cutting lettuce and salad fix-ins or making a few meals ahead. Healthy eating does take effort, so put the effort in when you can and you're not in a rush. This tip REALLY helped me keep eating healthy!

So I made this pizza twice since I loved it soooo much! You get a serving of veggies per slice and veggies will make you happy and not do that pouty kid frown. It is also super pretty and your eyes will make it taste even better! Even better the flavor will punch you in the mouth with sweetness. Sweet and cheese- it is almost like dessert!

What you need

Roasted vegetables- I used zucchini, eggplant, onion, red bell peppers and yellow bell pepper (about 3.5 cups of this mix, but be creative and use any veggies you like.)
4 slices of fresh mozzarella (about 4 oz.)
1 slice of fontina cheese
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
8 cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 frozen blank pizza crust, I used Trader Joe's brand- see below.

** Yes I cheated and I will OWN it! I got a FT job a blog and write PT, lol! Save yourself sometime and do the same! They taste great and it makes life easier!

How to make it

1- Preheat oven to 415º
2- I pre-roasted my vegetables in advance, but if you did not roasting is SUPER Easy. (Cut veggies, add extra virgin olive oil and roast in oven at 400º with some salt and pepper until veggies are slightly browned on bottom, flip and roast a couple more mins.)
3- Put the roasted vegetables atop the blank pizza crust (be sure to flour the bottom of the crust) I used LOTS of veggies- maybe about 3.5 cups.
4- Add sliced of mozzarella and fontina, plus your parmesan.
5- Lastly add your cherry tomato halves.
6- Bake for 15-18 mins or until cheese is slightly browned and crust is crisp.

Nutritional Information