Foodie Friday: Tomato Basil Pizza

Habitat Events is a Montana based wedding coordination and event design company in Missoula, MT. Servicing Whitefish, Flathead Valley, Bozeman, Hamilton, Bitterroot Valley, Glacier National Park, YellowStone, Big Sky, Seeley, Big Fork, Holland Lake and surround areas.

We had so much fun last Saturday with our super cute couple Sara and Ryan. The one thing that we just can't seem to shake from our craving list is the tomato, basil pizza that our fabulous MOB ordered when we sat down to lunch at the Double Arrow Lodge in Seeley, Montana. I am telling you, this pizza looked and smelled amazing!

So naturally, when it came time for Foodie Friday, the first thing on our minds was HOW can we recreate that amazing pizza. While I will always think that Double Arrow pizza was heaven sent, our creation comes pretty close.

Follow the jump to see how we did it!

This is what you will need!

2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds (about 1.25 kg) small-to-medium sized fresh tomatoes, sliced in half
3 clove fresh garlic, peeled and quartered lengthwise or thickly sliced
2 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional oil for the pizza
12 branches of fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 ounces fresh pizza dough

8 ounces (240 g) mozzarella cheese, sliced
One bunch of fresh basil
Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

2. On a non-stick baking sheet that’s large enough to hold the tomatoes in a single layer, toss together the tomatoes with the garlic, olive oil, thyme, bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Roast in the oven for 1 hour, checking midway to make sure the garlic isn’t burning. If the tomatoes are getting overly dark on the bottom, turn them gently with a spatula.

4. After one hour, turn off oven and leave tomatoes in the oven until oven cools completely. Roasting time will vary depending on the size of tomatoes; just roast them until they’ve given up their juices, as shown in the picture.

5. To make the pizza, preheat the oven to 450ºF (235ºC) and place a heavy baking sheet on rack on the lower third of the oven.

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch the pizza dough into a 14-inch (36 cm) circle. Place the dough on a sheet of parchment paper.

7. Brush the dough with a thin layer of olive oil. Drain the tomatoes well (reserve the liquid for a vinaigrette or soup), then distribute the tomatoes and garlic over the dough. Put the mozzarella slices over the tomatoes, then place a dozen fresh basil leaves on top of the pizza and grate some Parmesan over the top.

8. Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, until the pizza is baked to your liking; the bottom crust should be crisp and the top should be slightly browned and bubbling.

9. Remove from the oven and strew chopped fresh basil over the top along with a generous sprinkling of additional grated Parmesan cheese.

Variations: You can use a different cheese if you wish. Fresh goat cheese, smoked mozzarella, or a semi-soft cheese like Fontina work well on pizza. You could also add bits of bacon, avocado hearts or prosciutto to the pizza.

Now enjoy lovelies!

Thanks David Lebovitz for this great recipe!

Tags: Foodie Friday, habitat, pizza

Comments

Mmmm...pizza!

I have it on good authority (from the MOB herself!) that it was indeed fabulous! And your re-creation looks just as heavenly. Lovely to meet you both!