Italian Vegetarian Cooking : Pizza - Thin Crust Gourmet Vegetarian Pizza

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Serves: 4
Cooking time (approx.): minutes
Style: Italian Vegetarian

2 fresh dough thin crust pizza bases
For the Pizza Sauce
4 ripe red tomatoes or Italian plum tomatoes
2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 tablespoon(s) finely chopped garlic
1 onion(s) finely chopped
1 teaspoon(s) chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon(s) red chilli flakes
4 leaves of fresh basil torn
1 tablespoon(s) fresh oregano leaves chopped
½ cup(s) tomato puree
sugar, salt and pepper to taste For the Topping
2 onions cut into rings
1 cup(s) corn nibblets boiled
½ cup(s) sun dried tomatoes soaked in warm water
4 cup(s) grated mozzarella cheese
1 green bell pepper(s) deseeded and cut into rings
1 yellow bell pepper(s) deseeded and cut into rings
1 red bell pepper(s) deseeded and cut into rings
4 tablespoon(s) sliced black olives
2 teaspoon(s) dry oregano flakes

Slit the tomatoes and drop in boiling water. Put off the heat and keep covered for about 5 minutes. Drain, peel the skin, deseed and chop.
To prepare the pizza sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan. Saute the garlic, onions, parsley and red chilli flakes for about 4 minutes or till the onions are transparent.
Add the torn basil leaves, tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano flakes and sugar to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes or till the sauce is thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble the pizza, spread the tomato sauce equally on each pizza base. arrange half the onion rings, then half the corn nibblets, sun dried tomatoes, and half the mozzarella cheese on all. Spread the remaining corn nibblets, onion rings, green, yellow and red bell pepper rings. Sprinkle the black olives and oregano flakes. Finish topped with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 200^oC / 400^oF for about 20 minutes or till the cheese melts and the toppings are aromatic.

TIPS:
Italian plum tomatoes are preferable for making the pizza sauce as they are loaded with flavor. However if not available, normal red tomatoes can be used.
Sugar is added to the pizza sauce to cut off the sharp sourness of the tomatoes and tomato puree. Check for sourness. If it is not sour, do not add sugar.
Fresh herbs can be substituted with comparitively lesser amounts of dry ones.
Toppings can be selected as per individual preference from the vast variety of spring vegetables available.
Sun dried tomatoes are available in two forms. One packed in simple in dried form and another where the dried ones are packed in olive oil. If using the ones packed in olive oil, simply drain the oil before use.

Serve hot topped with: red chilli flakes

Vegetarian Italian Cooking

Thin Crust Gourmet Vegetarian Pizza