The flexitarian prescription

Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Whether you’re a fan of thin-crust NY style; or deep-dish Chicago style; or a savory, bubbly crust, Italian Margherita (add anchovies) … there is no doubt you (like most humans) love pizza. Me, I’m a fan of the latter … give me wood-fired dough with olive oil, a touch of sauce, buffalo mozzarella, tons of basil and yes, anchovies, and I am instantly transformed into a happy, happy, happy person—regardless of the almost impossibly crappy day that I may or may not have had.

Alas, last year we invested in a backyard pizza oven. And it was great. But. Now we’ve moved to the other side of the country … from a small, rural setting with plenty of outside room, to one of the 10 largest cities in the country where our three story town home just doesn’t allow for an outdoor pizza oven. And so, my husband decided to try making pizza—authentic pizza—in out kitchen with a cast iron pan. And you know what, it is absolutely amazing. Caveat, the first two times we may have had a few issues with the smoke alarms, but now that we (he) mastered the process, it’s a staple. And it’s amazing—did I already say that.

Cast Iron Pizza

PREP TIME: 15 minutes | COOK TIME: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

• Pizza dough
• Flour for rolling the dough
• Olive oil
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella (fresh or shredded)
• Optional: roasted garlic, fresh basil, pepperoni, sausage, etc.

Turn oven on to 450 degrees. Place cast iron skillet on burner and heat on medium for about 5 minutes, or until it starts to smoke.

• Step 1: Roll the dough in plenty of flour with a touch of cornmeal, if you have it. Yes, you can make your own dough, but with so many grocery stores carrying fresh dough, we opted for just that.
• Step 2: Stretch dough over the hot pan, brush with olive oil, add your sauce—but not too much. Add fresh mozzarella (or shredded if you prefer), if you’re adding meat or veggies, add those. Cook for 10 minutes.
• Step 3: Remove from oven and add any extras—fresh basil, roasted garlic, etc. Note, if you added meat, that should have been added during Step 2.

That’s it. Drizzle a little extra olive oil on the crust and enjoy : )