Balsamic Bruschetta Pizza

How'd you guys like that Super Bowl last night?

Me, I was pretty satisfied with the outcome.  I mean, I'm not a Giants fan, if only for the sole reason that all my New York friends love NYG and it's simply no fun for me to agree on sports with them.

I'm just an Anti-Patriots fan, really.  No offense to any New England fans, but I feel about your team how I assume you feel about the Steelers.

All football aside, I had an absolutely wonderful weekend with friends and loved ones.  There was way too much food, and because of that, I a) gained 17 lbs., and b) had no time to make this pizza for the big party.

So, I had to wait and make it today, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because once I made it, I decided I did not, in any way, want to share this with anyone.  I know, I'm selfish.  But, make this and I think you'll start to understand me a bit more.

The idea for this pizza came to me after a couple experience with a balsamic bruschetta.  On one occasion, the balsamic vinegar was included with the bruschetta in its raw form, and it was heavenly.  Then, I had traditional bruschetta with a balsamic syrup.  That was beyond heavenly.

Oh, and then I tried the bruschetta and balsamic syrup on pasta.  After that, I decided that this combination could pretty much work on any grain-based carbohydrate I could think of.  And, thus, the idea of pizza popped into my head.  And, after chopping and dicing my way through what felt like a bazillion tomatoes this weekend, I set some aside for bruschetta-making.

One word of advice:  As a novice, I'm not qualified to state outright that this will happen every time, but for me, the balsamic syrup gave off a very magnified vinegar smell as it cooked.  Next time, I may elect to try and open windows or get a fan going to disperse the smell a bit quicker.


Balsamic Bruschetta Pizza

1 Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cups diced Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
8-10 basil leaves, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 cup Balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sugar


Preheat oven 450F.

Prepare dough as instructed.  Lay out on a cookie sheet or pizza stone.

Combine the Roma tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil in a bowl.  Spoon over dough.

Cover with mozzarella cheese.

Bake 7-10 minutes or until crust becomes golden brown and cheese bubbles.

For the glaze, combine the vinegar and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low heat, stirring constantly.  The mixture will become thick and syrupy.

When the pizza comes out of the oven, drizzle the balsamic syrup over the top of the pizza.  If you prefer, you can omit the syrup and add 1-2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar to the bruschetta mixture before baking.



Listening to:   Madonna - Vogue