Arugula Pizza

Hey everyone!

Last year when I was visiting my aunt in New Jersey, we got take-out from one of her favorite spots, which was surprisingly the cafe in Nordstroms! We got the best pizzas I ate during my whole trip…but the secret to their greatness was a little off-menu ‘mistake’ that happened one time when my aunt had ordered them. Someone in the kitchen had drizzled the pizzas with the cafe’s balsamic dressing, and the next time she went, they didn’t do that, of course, cause that’s not on the menu— but man, did she notice!

I liked balsamic dressing on pizza so much I took the whole idea home with me. Now Scott and I make pizza about two to three times a month, and ARUGULA PIZZA with BALSAMIC is always a favorite!

Here’s how I make pizza at home:

I use the whole wheat pizza dough from Trader Joe’s and some stone ground whole wheat flour to toss it and spread on the baking sheet. Scott usually handles the dough, which I suck at- he’s Italian though, so that makes sense.

I cook about 8 garlic cloves and a shallot to spread around on the dough before anything else. This makes everything extra tasty. Sometimes I will mince some crimini mushrooms and add them to the garlic for more depth.

I cook some roma tomatoes and zucchini “pepperonis” in water. The zucchini slices are tasty and even look like pepperoni on a pizza, and we know pepperoni is not great for your heart, so this switch is a big improvement!

Then I use the pizza sauce from Trader Joe’s, and their vegan mozzarella cheese shreds.

Lastly, I layer some fresh arugula on top. This cooks really well and pairs perfectly with the aged balsamic vinegar I drizzle on top after cooking!