Ingredients:
- olive oil for brushing eggplant
- 1 small eggplant
- about 12 medium whole fresh basil leaves
- about 1/3 cup prepared pizza sauce
- 2/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- prepared pizza dough for one pizza (this is my favorite pizza dough recipe)
Preparation:
Slice eggplant into rounds about 1/3-inch thick. Brush with olive oil and grill for a few minutes, about 2-3 minutes, on each side, until tender. Set aside. If you don't have a grill handy, you could also roast them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 300 degrees on a baking sheet.
Spread a layer of pizza sauce on top of the dough. On top of the sauce, arrange the grilled eggplant slices in a single layer and tuck a whole basil leaf under each slice. Depending on the size of your eggplant, you may have some leftover. Dip it in the sauce and eat it as an appetizer while you're waiting for your pizza to cook!
Chop 3-4 whole basil leaves coarsely, then sprinkle them on top of the pizza, followed by a layer of grated mozzarella cheese.
Bake pizza in oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is just bubbly and crust is lightly golden brown.
Note that as with most pizza recipes, the amount needed is really an approximation, so feel free to adjust and add more or less as you like.
Like vegetarian pizza ideas? Here's a few more unusual pizza ideas to try:
