Sunday lunch: Pizza overload edition!

I made enough dough for four pizzas and turned the fourth pizza into cheesy bites—sticks of mozzarella string cheese wrapped in dough (not pictured).

Pizza #1: Pretty much the best pizza ever. Spread ½ cup tomato sauce (recipe follows) on stretched out dough. Soften 2-3 oz of mild goat cheese in the microwave and drop bits of it all over the surface. Sprinkle with 2-3 oz of feta cheese. Top with strips of caramelized onion, sliced black olives, and a light sprinkling of grated Parmesan (about 2 tbsp).

Pizza #2: Spread ½ cup tomato sauce on dough. Cover with 4 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese. Top with caramelized onion, thin strips of prosciutto, one pre-cooked and sliced chicken & apple sausage, and a sprinkling of Parmesan.

Pizza #3: Spread ½ cup tomato sauce on dough. Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese. Top with thin strips of prosciutto, torn baby spinach leaves, and Parmesan.

Warning: prosciutto is salty. It is so, so salty. I got one quarter of a pound thinking it would be good for two pizzas, but it ended up being way too much. Something like two ounces would have been plenty. If you don’t have access to prosciutto, you can fry up and crumble four slices of bacon. Once the pizzas are done baking, just sprinkle the bacon on top. Alternatively, you can replace it with other sliced deli meat like ham, or turkey.

Tomato Sauce

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sauce and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Yields about 1½ cups of sauce, enough for three pizzas approximately 10 by 12 inches.

Caramelized Onions

3 small or 2 medium yellow onions, halved crosswise and sliced
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil

In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter and oil. When sufficiently hot, add the onion and cook until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned, about 25-30 minutes.

Yields enough to top two pizzas.

Also part of this meal were cardamom crumb cake from the September 2010 issue of Everyday Food and lemon-mint iced tea (recipe follows). I tried baking the cake in a 9-inch round pan, since I didn’t have a 9 inch square. This was a really bad idea. I had to bake it for 30 minutes longer than the recipe stated and I discovered that it had not cooked completely through when I cut into it, despite a clean toothpick test. The extra baking time also made the outside of the cake brown and stick to the pan, making it fall apart when I tried to claw it out. Despite all this, it was really delicious, so I will be making it in my 10-inch springform next time.

Lemon-Mint Iced Tea

5 cups water
2 tbsp loose-leaf black tea
⅓ cup turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)
2 sprigs of mint
1 lemon, sliced

In a medium saucepan, combine water, tea, sugar, and mint. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, the mint has wilted, and the tea has brewed to desired strength. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher and add slices of lemon. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yields 5 cups of tea.