Tomato-Basil Pizza
Friday night is pizza night in our house! Instead of ordering greasy takeout, I whip up my own healthier (and tastier) version with five simple ingredients.
Tomato-Basil Pizza
Makes: 12 slices
Ingredients:
Pizza dough (1 1/2 pounds)
28 ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes, drained
4 large garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Equipment: Pizza stone, pizza pan or jelly roll pan
The Ingredients: Tomatoes, Basil, Garlic, Dough and Mozzarella
Pizza Dough
I definitely rely on pre-baked pizza crusts from time to time but they’re usually loaded with sodium. For this recipe, fresh dough makes all the difference. Pick up some from your local grocer or pizzeria or make you own (it’s easier than you think). This Tyler Florence recipe is my favorite.
Canned Tomatoes
Canned tomatoes are a great choice when fresh ones aren’t in season. The canned version also contains higher amounts of the antioxidant lycopene. Pick the brand with the lowest amount of sodium (my go-to brand has a very reasonable 20 milligrams per serving).
Garlic
Fresh garlic enhances the flavor of tomatoes without overpowering the whole pizza. Add more or less according to your taste. For a sweet and nutty flavor, try roasting the garlic first.
Mozzarella Cheese
A small amount of light and creamy fresh mozzarella gives this recipe just enough gooey cheese – as well as protein and calcium.
Fresh Basil
Like garlic, basil adds flavor but virtually no calories. Learn more about the health benefits and why basil made our list of the Top 5 Herbs for Healthy Cooking.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place a pizza stone, if using, in the oven to heat up. Roll out pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Gently press into a large circle or rectangle approximately ¼-inch thick.
To prepare the sauce*, hand-crush tomatoes in to a medium bowl. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper; stir and set aside. Top dough with a thin layer of sauce, cheese and half of the basil.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly. Top with remaining basil.
*Note: this recipes makes enough sauce for two pizzas – freeze half for your next pizza night.
Easy Tomato-Basil Pizza
Nutrition info per serving (2 slices):
Calories: 390
Total Fat: 11 grams
Saturated Fat: 4.5 grams
Total Carbohydrate: 52 grams
Protein: 15 grams
Sodium: 590 milligrams
Cholesterol: 20 milligrams
Fiber: 3 grams
Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition. See Dana’s full bio »
You Might Also Like:
- Recipe: Fresh Pizza Dough
- Cooking with Canned Tomatoes
- Health Benefits of Garlic
- Top 5 Herbs for Healthy Cooking
You can also look for prebaked whole wheat crusts, sometimes already in a 'personal size'.
Perhaps I may not have read about similar posts here but I like this novelty at HealthyEats where photos of the ingredients of the recipe as well as the finished meal are displayed for readers. It helps appreciate the food and also illustrates the point the Writer will be explaining.
Detaching the Equipment from the Directions also helps a lot. The reader knows in the first place what tool or utensil is to be used. In most recipe presentations, it has to be figured out from the Directions.
If you don't want as much tomatoes (I can't have as much because they cause hearburn), I just get rid of the sauce completely and do chunks of cherry tomatoes or the large slices. The fresh mozzarella is amazing for this pizza, and crumbled feta is a great addition too.