tomato bacon caprese pizza
I was SO ready to start bidding summer adieu, but then cherry tomatoes went BOGO at Publix.
Returned from my trip on Sunday and I knew pizza was in order. Almost like I’m vaguely weaning myself back into regular eating while also refusing to let go of the fun aspect of the culinary arts. Granted, I did eat out a shit ton this weekend and was more than ready for some home cooking, but still.
August is the Dog Days of summer, and I’m pretty sure I say that every year. The month in which I’m ready to release the season and welcome in autumn, but during which I’m quickly checked by Mother Nature because it’s sweltering outside and the risk of strong hurricanes is highest. I haven’t been paying close attention but apparently the tropics are starting to churn.
Fucking great.
At present, though, let’s focus on this Tomato Bacon Caprese Pizza. Celebrate the gorgeous harvest of baby tomatoes by roasting those beauties until they pop, and spraying them over fresh dough with pesto sauce, cheese, and bacon (tofu of regular, as always).
A simple pie, a humble pie, and absolutely mouthwatering pie. Keep this recipe close for an easy dinner as life stirs up in energy and the kids return to school!
Later, Mater
Our first step is roasting the tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are always my favorite, but grape are fine, any small varietal.
Toss your portion in a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with lots of olive oil, fresh chopped oregano, a couple shallots, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes or so until bubbly and bursting, and hopefully with a little char atop.
I whipped up a homemade dough as usual, but storebought is perfectly fine. Just make sure it’s fully at room temp so it’s pliable. Divide the dough in half and plop onto a baking sheet. Push, pull, roll, toss, punch, shove, spread the dough into a circle.
Poke a few holes in the bottom of the dough and brush the whole thing with a little olive oil. Bake about 5 minutes just to set up the crust, otherwise you risk an unsavory soggy bottom. No thanks.
Spread pesto sauce (again, homemade or no!) on the bottom of the crust. Spoon half of the tomatoes and shallots overtop. You may need to gently pull the shallots apart. Sprinkle over lots of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses and finish with crumbled tofu/regular bacon.
Bake 8-10 minutes until crispy, crunchy, melty, and gooey. Smells like an Italian bistro, pals.
Repeat the previous steps with the second ball of dough so you have two delightful pies to enjoy.
Throw a metric fuckton of fresh basil on top, slice up each pizza, and enjoy hot. But not too hot. You probably wouldn’t enjoy singing off your tastebuds.
Leftovers meal prep well, maybe with some Caesar salad or roasted veggies, or you can dive into a cold slice on a tired weekend morning after too many beers with the boys. Don’t care how to enjoy it, just do, damn it.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Pizza night, upgraded:
4 Cheese Peach Garlic Butter Pizza
tomato bacon caprese pizza
Ingredients
- 1 lb pizza dough, homemade or store bought
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, quartered
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought
- 2 cups low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
- 6 strips tofu or regular bacon
- LOTS of fresh basil, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a 9 x 9 inch baking dish, toss the cherry tomatoes with the olive oil, shallots, oregano, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Roast 25-30 minutes until bursting.
- Increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees. Divide the pizza dough in half. Working with one ball at a time, push, press, shove, flip, etc. the dough into an approximately 10 inch circle (or something that kinda looks like a circle. Set onto a large baking sheet. Poke holes into the bottom of the crust and brush the dough with a little olive oil. Parbake for 5 minutes until lightly golden.
- Spread half of the pesto over the bottom of the crust. Speckle with about half of the tomatoes and shallots (pull the latter apart a bit as needed), then sprinkle with half of the cheeses. Crumble the bacon overtop. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden and melty. Repeat prior steps with the other half of the dough.
- Toss a buttload of fresh basil on top of the pizza, then slice and serve!
Notes
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Drain and press a block of extra firm tofu to remove excess water for about 5-10 minutes. I make a homemade press by placing paper towels on a large plate, then the tofu, then more towels, another plate, and a skillet.
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly grease a large baking sheet. Slice the tofu very thin (as thin as you can without breaking it) and place onto the baking sheet.
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In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chili powder, and black pepper. Pour over the tofu and, using a basting brush, coat each slice. Flip, and brush the sauce over the opposite side. Let sit while the oven heats.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking time. Let cool on the baking sheet: the tofu will continue to crisp up.
