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Peak pepper + cherry tomato season means white pizza night. We make a quick, garlicky peperonata on the stove so the veggies bake up sweet and jammyโnot watery. Itโs simple, colorful, and perfect for an easy late-summer dinner (and it slides right into fall, too).
Can you guys believe August is nearly over and Labor Day is exactly one week from today? I am in complete shock. Also, I have zero Labor Day plansโฆtypical. I think I need to plan to plan something fun. What are you guys doing?
This coming fall is going to be pretty busy around here and I am both nervous and excited. September marks the release of my very firstย cookbook, the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook, so I will of course be making my way around to promote the cookbook. We will also be debuting a brand new HBH site redesign (coming very soon!), along with continuing to work on the new studio barnย (yay!). And of course I will still be continuing to post, both here and on Instagram, daily. Itโs going to be a lot, but I am so excited!
Iโm currently working to get organized, and a bit ahead, in preparation for upcoming events and travel. If anyone has tips on staying organizedโฆand energizedโฆplease let me know, I certainly need them!
For now though, letโs talk pizza, because one, pizza makes me happy, and two, pizza is DELICIOUS.
Why Youโll Love This
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Sweet-peppery topping that actually cooks through.
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Balanced cheese blend for creamy pull + nutty flavor.
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Weeknight-friendly: stovetop simmer, stretch, bake.
This pizza was inspired by peperonata, which is an Italian bell pepper and herb sautรฉ. Itโs basically just bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs, simmered in extra virgin olive oil until the peppers are soft and the garlic fragrant. Some recipes call for a longer cooking time to really allow the flavors to mend, but for this pizza weโre just doing a quick ten minute or so simmer.
Iโve seen peperonata recipes all over the place, but for some reason I had never thought to put the mix atop a pizza. That was until I had an abundance of bell peppers sitting in my fridge before my family and I left for Cleveland. I knew I needed to use them up before we left, so I decided on a pizza topped with peperonata.
You wouldnโt think simmering the peppers in olive oil, garlic, and herbs would make a huge difference, but trust me it does. Pizza cooks up pretty quickly and Iโve always found that any time I add raw veggies onto pizza dough and bake, the veggies never cook properly due to the quick cooking time of the pizza.
Cooking the peppers and tomatoes first on the stove-top not only allows them to soak up the flavors of the garlic and herbs, but also pre-cooks them. By the time the finished pizza comes out of the oven, the veggies are cooked just right.
It seems allย peperonata recipes are made a little differently, so hereโs what I didโฆ
Heat a little olive oil in a skillet with three bell peppers (I used two red and one orange), a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh oregano, balsamic vinegar, a pinch of pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Simmer everything until your kitchen smells like an Italian grandmothers (seriously, it smells SO good). Then layer it all on some pizza dough with fresh basil, provolone and Gruyรจre cheese.
Bake. Top with more basil. Smell the goodness. Slice and EAT.
NOW you want pizza, right?!
FAQ:
Can I use mozzarella instead of provolone and Gruyรจre?
Yesโuse low-moisture mozzarella for structure and add a little Parmesan for nuttiness. Expect a slightly milder flavor than Gruyรจre.
How do I keep the crust crisp with juicy tomatoes?
Halve and pat tomatoes dry, donโt pile toppings too thickly, and bake on a lower rack or preheated stone so the bottom sets fast.
Can I make the topping ahead?
Totally. The peperonata holds well for 2โ3 days in the fridge; bring to room temp so it spreads easily and doesnโt cool the dough.
Can I grill this pizza?
Yesโgrill the stretched dough on one side until set, flip, add toppings to the cooked side, then cover and grill until the cheese melts and bottom is charred.
Pepper and Cherry Tomato White Pizza.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 bell peppers sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Pinch kosher salt
- 1/2 pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup shredded provolone
- 1 cup shredded gruyere
- 1 large handful fresh basil, plus more for topping
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil.2. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of both crushed red pepper and salt. Cook until the peppers just begin to soften and the garlic is fragrant, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat.3. On a lightly floured surface, push/roll the dough out until it is pretty thin (about a 10-12 inch circle). Transfer the dough baking sheet. Drain the olive oil left over from the peppers and spread it over the dough. Add the provolone and then arrange the peppers and tomatoes over top. Sprinkle on the gruyere and fresh basil.
4. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted. Top with fresh basil. EAT!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Making pizza this week, this looks fabulous! Do you recommend oiling the pan the dough sits in before bake or just the top of the dough before the toppings?
Hey Brooklyn,
You can totally oil the pan as well. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Looks yummy!! Can’t wait to try it.
I hope you love this Sandra! Thank you!!
Tomorrow night is pizza night and I can’t wait to try this! ๐
Amazing! Hope you enjoy! Thanks Laura!