Pizza primavera
Pizza, when it's made the traditional Italian way, has little resemblance to the pizza available in most fast food outlets. These pizzas are usually topped with lots of meat, lots of cheese, very few vegetables, and are served on a thick doughy crust.
Compare this to a traditionally prepared pizza which contains little or no meat, moderate amounts of good quality cheese, a variety of vegetables and fresh herbs, and is served on a thin crust.
In fact, when pizza is made in this traditional way it not only makes a wonderful meal (especially when it's served with a fresh tossed salad and little red wine) it's also good for your body as well.
This pizza, topped with asparagus, zucchini, peas, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula (rocket), and a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, is bursting with the fresh flavors of spring. It's delicious served as it is, but you can also easily up the protein content by adding slices of smoked salmon, prosciutto or fresh shrimp.
3 tablespoons chopped canned tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 store-bought pre-baked thin pizza crust (or use a large whole wheat pita bread as the crust)
3 oz (85g) grated mozzarella cheese
1 oz (30g) grated Parmesan cheese
10 fresh asparagus tips
½ zucchini - sliced into rounds
2 tablespoons green peas (fresh, or frozen and defrosted)
A handful of arugula (rocket)
