Red Onion Pizza

Red Onion Pizza is a colourful vegetarian option and a and popular mid week supper. Divided into 3 stages you can take short cuts or go for the full home-made recipe if you have a bit more time.

Red Onion Pizza

Stage 1: Pizza base.
There are lots of good shop bought bases readily available for those days when you are in a hurry. Alternatively a bread machine makes a great dough ready to roll out.

Use the recipe in your instruction booklet and try adding 2 tbsp of finely chopped rosemary to the dough to give a herby flavour.
450g of bread flour makes enough dough for 4 good sized pizzas.

Stage 2: The tomato sauce.
Short on time — there are lots of brands of pizza sauce on the market. However whilst you are preparing the toppings it's quick and easy to make your own with a few store cupboard ingredients.

  • In a glug of olive oil over a low heat sauté together an onion, a carrot, a clove of garlic and 6 mushrooms — all finely chopped.
  • When they are soft but not brown add 2 cartons of chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato puree, a bay leaf and a handful of basil if available.
  • Season to taste and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.
  • Cool before topping the pizzas.

Stage 3: The toppings.

  • 150g grated mozzarella/cheddar
  • 6 large red onions – finely sliced into rings
  • 100g grated parmesan cheese
  • 4 tbsp thyme leaves – broad leaf thyme is easy to use
  • Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Preparation and baking:

  • Preheat the oven to 220°C or Gas mark 9 and lightly oil your baking sheets.
  • If you have home-made dough divide into 4 pieces.
  • Roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 20 – 25cm diameter.
  • Transfer the bases to the prepared trays.
  • Top each base with 2 tbsp of tomato sauce [don't spread it right to the edge].
  • Then sprinkle over the grated mozzarella/cheddar and top with the onions rings.
  • Drizzle with a little olive oil and transfer in batches to the oven.

Cooking times vary tremendously depending on the ferocity of your oven — anything from 5 to 10 minutes.
Keep a close eye on them and, when the crust is just starting to go golden, remove from the oven and
add the parmesan.

Carry on baking for just a couple of minutes more to melt the parmesan and finish the crust.
Serve with some ground black pepper, sea salt and freshly picked wild rocket leaves.