B.L.T. Pizza

It’s no secret we love pizza around here. It’s a guaranteed win for every family member and easy to adapt to each person’s preferences.

When I make it to the big city, I always stock up on Trader Joes pre-made pizza dough and stuff a few in my freezer. If I don’t have any, I make Mark Bittman’s pizza dough recipe or just make the basic bread dough recipe from Artisan Sourdough, Made Simple, then instead of shaping and doing a second rise for bread, I just roll it out into pizza dough.

Anyway, I digress. Pizza night is always a hit. I keep some Rao’s marinara on hand and I often have basil pesto stashed somewhere in the fridge or freezer. A little cheese, a slice of tomato and whatever combo the kids request means dinner is so tasty and delicious.

Over the summer we got VERY into B.L.T. pizza as the garden started pumping out tomatoes on the daily. And while garden ripened tomatoes are a distant memory in stormy gray November, this lovely and so easy combination is still completely delicious and satisfying.

B.L.T. Pizza

• 1 pizza crust

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil OR heaping spoonful basil pesto

• 1 tomato sliced and salted

• 4 pieces cooked bacon, diced

• 2 cups shredded smoked (or regular) mozzarella cheese

• 2-3 cups arugula

• Coarse salt and black pepper

• 5-6 leaves fresh basil, slivered

• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven or grill to 450 degrees and if using a pizza stone, place on the center rack in the oven. Stretch pizza dough before laying on a floured surface and rolling into an oval. Drizzle dough with a tablespoons of olive oil OR the basil pesto, layer with shredded mozzarella cheese then top with the sliced tomatoes and bacon pieces. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

While the pizza cooks, toss arugula with a very small drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. When the pizza is done, remove it from the oven and top the pizza with the arugula and slivered basil. Cut into slices and enjoy.