Ciabatta Pizza with Squash Caponata
A delicious mixture of veggies dressed with vinaigrette over ciabatta and baked with a cheese topping is a welcome change to pepperoni pizza. Serve with Roasted Mushrooms with Pumpkin-Chipotle Polenta.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 1/2 pounds yellow squash and/or zucchini, small dice
- 1 medium red or yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 small red chili pepper, such as Fresno or Holland varieties, chopped or thinly sliced
- 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
- 1 cubanelle pepper, chopped
- 1 small red bell or sweet red frying pepper, seeded and chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup Sicilian green olives, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons golden raisins
- 2-3 tablespoons capote capers, drained and chopped
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar or a splash of dry white wine
- 1 can tomato sauce (14 ounces)
- A handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- A few leaves of fresh basil, torn
- 1 large loaf ciabatta bread, split horizontally
- 2 1/2 cups shredded provolone (10 ounces) or 1/2 pound caciocavallo cheese, shredded
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.
Heat the EVOO in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, onion, garlic, chili pepper, celery, cubanelle pepper, red bell pepper and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for about 10-12 minutes to soften the vegetables. Add in the olives, raisins and capers once the veggies start to give off their juice. Add the vinegar, then the tomato sauce. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir in the parsley and basil to finish.
Arrange the bread on a large baking sheet and top with an even, thick layer of caponata. Top the caponata with an even layer of cheese and bake for 5 minutes to brown and melt the cheese. Cut each half loaf into three large squares of bread pizza.
