Pizza Capricciosa

A full flavoured tomato based pizza. With hot salami, ham, sliced Kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes strips, marinated artichokes and cheese. If you’re short of time just use a premade pizza base and pizza sauce rather than making everything from scratch.
Cooking Time: 12 minutes. Preparation time 15 minutes using pre made pizza bases or 2 hours if making pizza bases. Makes: 4 serves

Ingredients

  • 375g of pizza dough rolled onto 2 oiled trays or 2 large pizza bases

For the tomato topping:

  • 2 large ripe fresh tomatoes, blanched, peeled and very finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano chopped or 1 tsp dry oregano leaves
  • 2 medium garlic cloves crushed

or

  • 2 tbsps pizza sauce

Toppings

  • 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups grated cheese (1 cup of mozzarella and 1 cup tasty Cheddar)
  • 1 cup Always Fresh marinated artichoke hearts – drained
  • ½ cup Always Fresh sundried tomato strips – drained
  • ½ cup Always Fresh sliced Kalamata olives – drained
  • 75g thinly sliced hot salami
  • 75g thinly sliced leg ham

To serve

a few oregano leaves

Method

  1. Make the pizza dough following this recipe.

Or set up your brought pizza bases on large ovenproof trays.

  1. Brush the bases with a little olive oil.
  2. If your making the topping, place a small wire sieve over a bowl, add the chopped tomato, sprinkle with salt, allow to sit for 10 minutes to draw out some of the water.
  3. Throw out the liquid in the bowl and add the drained tomato, tomato paste, oregano, garlic and a grind or 2 of black pepper. Mix well and spread thinly over the bases. (If your using pizza sauce just spread it)
  4. Cover the bases with two thirds of the grated cheeses.
  5. Scatter with marinated artichoke hearts, sundried tomato strips, sliced Kalamata olives, salami and ham and finish with the remaining cheese.
  6. Bake the pizzas for 10 to 12 minutes. Until golden brown, cooked through and bubbling.
  7. Serve immediately scattered with a few oregano leaves.