Mangia, Mangia!

By Bianca Tamburello, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Karen Jacobs kindly opened her doors to kick off the beginning of the weekly KJ Sargent Choice Test Kitchens this semester.

Pizza is probably one of the most beloved foods across all age groups. Although pizza may unite many people, it can be quite a controversial food.

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Should the crust be crunchy or soft? What’s the perfect ratio of cheese to sauce?  Should it be prepared as a deep dish, Sicilian style or round pizza?

And I won’t even begin to question the infinite number of topping options.

Although pizza is cherished by many, the pizza joints that seem to saturate many cities do not always “deliver” your personal preferences.

You may ask, what could possibly be the solution to this tragic pizza problem?

Of course, make your own! Luckily, the Sargent Choice Nutrition Center is here to help!

Check out our Tomato, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella Pizza that we whipped up at the test kitchen this week.

You may think that ordering delivery is easier and faster, but this recipe took us about 20 minutes from beginning to end.

That’s faster than Rachael Ray’s 30 minute meals!

We preheated the oven to 450 degrees F and stretched the whole wheat dough into about a 12-inch circle. Next, we sprinkled some cornmeal on the pan, transferred the dough and continued to stretch the dough to form to the pan.

If air bubbles form poking them with a fork easily deflates them, making it easier to spread the pesto.

If air bubbles form poking them with a fork easily deflates them, making it easier to spread the pesto.

Next, we baked the dough for 8 to 10 minutes or until crispy.

Sometimes whole wheat pizza dough can be difficult to find but more and more stores and bakeries have begun to carry it. Karen likes to buy whole wheat pizza dough from Trader Joes. The dough is delicious, reasonably priced, very convenient and a healthy substitution for the average white pizza dough.

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Once the dough crisped up, we spread the pesto evenly, leaving a 1-inch border for the crust. Finally, we placed the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella slices and brought it back to the oven until the cheese melted and crust crisped further.

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The gooey globs of fresh melted mozzarella atop the juicy tomatoes were delightful and the use of pesto instead of sauce makes this SC pizza unique from many others.

The rustic taste with a healthy Sargent Choice twist will definitely have you reaching for a second piece!

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Because we didn’t have a pizza roller, Karen used sissors to cut – worked perfectly!

 

Sargent Choice Tomato, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella Pizza

Yield 8 Servings

Ingredients
1 prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
6 ounces freshly grated mozzarella, about 1 cup
3 plum tomatoes cut into 1/8-inch slices
3 tablespoons basil pesto
2 tablespoons cornmeal for dusting

Directions

1.     Pre-heat oven to 45 degrees F.

2.     Stretch the dough into about a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle cornmeal on pizza pan then place the dough on the pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom.

3.     Spread pesto over dough leaving a 1-inch border and sprinkle with cheese. Arrange tomato slices over cheese.

4.     Return crust to oven and bake until the edges of the crust are crispy and the cheese has melted.

Tips and Serving Ideas

  • If whole wheat pizza dough is not available use a pre-prepared whole wheat pizza crust
  • To complete the meal add a fresh salad tossed with your favorite dressing
1 Slice
Calories 200
Fat 7 g
Saturated Fat 3.5 g
Protein 10 g
Carbohydrates 25 g
Fiber 8 g

3 Comments

distillery equipment posted on July 27, 2022 at 3:10 am

nice to meet you

Boyacı Ustası posted on April 18, 2023 at 11:56 am

Anther yummy pizza recipe. Thank you.

Sağlık ve magazin posted on January 10, 2024 at 4:52 am

It looks different.

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