Homemade Pizza & Bridget Jones

by Lizzy W   |   December 23, 2014   |   4 Comments

I know I just started doing “Dinner and a Movie” on my blog, so this is probably premature but…… this could possibly be my favorite night.  First of all – my favorite movie – Bridget Jones Diary…. I can’t think of many more movies that I can watch over and over and over again and still love so much.

It’s one of those feel good movies (and also chick flick – dually noted) that makes me laugh no matter what (and feel not so bad about being the last of my single friends left :).  And what better to go with it than some really awesome homemade pizza!  Perfect comfort food for a movie all about learning to be comfortable with who you are – and I believe the weird stuff and the flaws… they only make you that more special!

Serves 2

Ingredients (tomato sauce):

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup sweet yellow onion
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1, 14 oz jar canned San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• (optional) 1 jalapeno, slit down the middle not cut

Ingredients (gluten-free pizza dough):

• I buy store-bought pizza dough from whole foods – it’s so easy to buy whole wheat pre-prepared pizza dough at the counter, and it saves me a lot of time on the weekdays.

Ingredients (pizza toppings):

• handful of spinach
• 1/2 cup Italian cheese
• enough sauce to cover a light layer
• 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• about 5 basil leaves, minced
• about 4 cherry tomatoes, diced
• pepperoni, diced
• olive oil for drizzling
• oregano, red pepper flakes, rosemary (optional)
• and anything else you want!

Directions (tomato sauce):

• Saute onions in olive oil until softened, then add in the garlic, tomatoes, and tomato paste (option here if you like a little heat is to slice a jalapeño down the center, not cut, and let it simmer in the sauce and infuse).  Simmer for 40 minutes, making sure not to crush the tomatoes.  Stir often until reduced, the sauce should be quite thick.  Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.

Directions (pizza):

• Place a pizza stone in the oven and pre-heat to 450 degrees, at least half an hour before you put the pizza in.
• Prepare pizza by first coating with tomato sauce, then basil or rosemary, then the spinach, and last the cheese and mushrooms.  I really like to be sure to put the spinach under the cheese so instead of burning or crisping, it gets a good steam and I can still taste it.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with oregano.
• Bake pizza until the crust is golden, about 10 minutes depending on the size.  Be sure to check, as different size pizzas will cook at different times.