Brain Food: Bruschetta Pizza

Photo courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

We admit that while pizza may not be known for its brain and body benefits, this pizza, with a fresh bruschetta topping, is loaded with tons of tomatoes which are a great superfood for your brain. Tomatoes shrink stroke risk by 50%, fight off heart attacks, protect against 9 types of cancer, trim the risk for Parkinson’s Disease, and promote healthier sleep! It’s easy to see that these puppies are a super delicious super food. You can keep your family happy AND sneak in something good for them with this delicious pie!

Bruschetta Pizza

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 1 whole Unbaked Pizza Crust (can be purchased pre-made from most grocery stores in the deli section)
• Olive Oil
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup Prepared Pesto
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 pint Red Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
• 1 pint Yellow Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lenthwise
• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 16 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)
• 6 ounces, weight Mozzarella, Grated
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Or Romano
• 1/2 cup Fontina Cheese
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella

Directions:

To make the pizza topping: In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir, lightly frying for about a minute, removing before the garlic gets too brown (it can be golden.) Pour into a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.

Add tomatoes, balsamic, basil, and salt and pepper to the bowl. Toss to combine, then taste and add more basil if needed, and more salt if needed (don’t oversalt, though!) Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two if you have the time.

Preheat the oven according to the pizza dough package. Roll out the pizza dough as thin as it will go and transfer to an oiled baking sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and smear it around with your fingers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then spread pesto all over the surface. Mix the first three cheeses together and sprinkle them all over. Top with slices of fresh mozzarella.

Bake pizza according to package directions, until crust is golden and topping is bubbly. Remove from oven. To keep the bruschetta from making a big mess, slice the pizza and spoon the tomato-basil salad onto each piece individually.