Olive-Infused Vegetarian Pizza

A vegetarian pizza built around olives and olive oil — not as an afterthought, but as the main event. The key is sautéing the olives briefly in EVOO with garlic before adding them to the pizza, which deepens their flavour considerably.

Ingredients

Pizza dough (homemade or good quality bought) · tomato sauce · mozzarella · mixed olives (green, black, Kalamata) · bell peppers · mushrooms · spinach · garlic · Boutique Olive Grove EVOO · dried oregano · red pepper flakes · sea salt.

Method

1. Preheat oven to maximum (ideally 245°C or higher). 2. Slice olives and sauté briefly in EVOO with minced garlic over medium heat. This is the step most people skip; don't. 3. Stretch the dough onto a pizza stone or preheated baking sheet. Spread tomato sauce evenly, leaving a border. 4. Add mozzarella, then the sautéed olives and garlic, then remaining vegetables. Drizzle with EVOO. Season with oregano and a pinch of salt. 5. Bake 10-15 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling.

Serving

With a fresh arugula salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette. A chilled glass of white wine or a light beer.