Balsamic Portobello & Mozzarella Pizza

As some of you may guessed by now, I’m a big fan of pizza.

But not just any old pizza, delicious pizza. If I’m going to indulge in pizza, which I do probably every other week, it’s got to be good. The best way to ensure that the pizza I’m eating isn’t full of grease and extra calories is to make it myself – hence, homemade pizza night happens pretty often around here.

The “classic” pie in this house is one loaded with veggies (most often zucchini, tomato, and spinach), mozzarella, and marinara (like the one I posted about here), but I do veer away from that sometimes to experiment with other combos — such as this goat cheese & arugula pesto pizza. And then there’s my most recent pizza creation…

Balsamic Portobello Mozzarella Pizza

Makes 8 slices

1 whole wheat pizza dough ball (Trader Joe’s)
1 vine ripe tomato, chopped
1 large portobello mushroom cap, thinly sliced
8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP brown sugar
1/2 c roasted red pepper & artichoke tapenade (optional, or you can sub it for marinara or another kind of veggie tapenade)
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
Flour for rolling dough
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for around 10 minutes, until it becomes syrupy.

Add the portobello and onion slices, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, roll out your pizza dough, dusting the rolling pin and surface with flour to make it easier.

Place the dough onto your pizza pan. If you’re using a tapenade or base sauce, pour onto dough and spread evenly.

Once the mushrooms are tender, remove from heat. With a large spoon, place the balsamic mushroom and onion slices onto the pizza. Use the spoon to drizzle a bit of the balsamic onto the pizza.

Evenly add the tomato and mozzarella slices onto the pie, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until dough is lightly browned and cheese is bubbly.