herb and olive pizza_________________________Easy weeknight pizza with an assembly of fresh herbs, garlic, quick tomato sauce, and plenty of cheese and olives for a no frills yet utterly delicious pie.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound pizza dough, homemade or storebought
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp honey
- pinch red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella
Instructions
- If you are making homemade pizza dough (highly recommend) prepare the dough as usual. I linked my Easiest Pizza Dough recipe down in the Notes section!
- Once your dough is ready, whichever way you opted to prepare it, preheat oven to 425 degrees with a pizza stone or cast iron skillet inside. I recommend allowing your skillet or stone sit in the hot oven for at least 20-30 minutes.
- Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in can of tomato sauce and bring to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat and allow to warm through, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in honey and salt. Taste and adjust according to personal preference. Keep warm until ready to assemble the pizza.
- In a small bowl, combine fresh basil, parsley, oregano, and the second garlic clove.
- Roll or stretch your pizza dough to fit your choice baking vessel. Drizzle with olive oil. Parbake for 8 minutes.
- Build your pie! Spread tomato sauce on the bottom - you may not use it all - then layer cheeses on top. Evenly scatter olives and top with sprinkles of the fresh herb mixture. Bake 10-12 minutes, then turn the broiler to high and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until cheese browns and bubbles. Watch very carefully! Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes, then slice and enjoy!