I hadn’t gotten to the subject of dinner and it was past five. With three hungry kids nipping at my heels (literally), I took a wild-eyed spin around the kitchen — pantry, freezer, fridge, bread basket – making a mental note of my options for a 20 minute answer to dinner (not many) and briefly considered take-out. The half empty package of whole wheat lavash bread caught my eye and a twinkle of an idea filtered through: Lavash Pizza. I fired up the oven and whirled a tomato sauce in the blender, seasoning it with a few staples from my spice drawer, wondering all the while if this was going to be any good. A bit of reconnaissance in the fridge produced the necessary toppings and when the prosciutto arugula lavash pizzas went in to bake, I set to work on a few side dishes.
The gorgeous lettuces that arrived that morning in my CSA box found their way into a salad accented with orange sections and walnuts, which my daughter Rosie toasted for me after I burned them twice (distraction is a terrible thing when it comes to toasting nuts). A head of steamed Romanesco, which looks like a prehistoric animal and tastes like cauliflower and broccoli, rounded out the supper.
The easy lavash pizza was a hands-down hit. When I made it again a week later, this time with an egg cracked in the center, I found myself hoovering a few slices before it even made it to a serving plate. The whole experience reminds me that the old adage, “necessity is the mother of invention” is never so true as it is in the kitchen. Plus, it was a whole lot better tasting, healthier, and cheaper, than take-out.
Lavash Pizza with Prosciutto and Arugula
Ingredients
- One 14.5- ounce can diced, unsalted tomatoes, drained
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Four 8x10-inch pieces whole wheat lavash bread (see notes)
- 1 1/3 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups arugula or baby spinach
- 4 to 6 thin slices prosciutto
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees F with the rack on the lowest level.
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Whirl the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, fennel, oregano and salt in a blender for about 30 seconds until smooth.
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Lay the lavash (not overlapping) on 2 baking sheets. Spread a thin layer of sauce evenly over the lavash, covering the entire surface (save the remaining sauce for another use). Sprinkle the two cheeses on top, followed by the arugula. Tear the prosciutto into pieces and distribute over the pizza.
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Bake the pizzas on the bottom rack of the oven until crispy around the edges, about 10 minutes. Cut into quarters or eighths and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Lavash is a Middle Eastern flat bread available in many supermarkets and specialty stores
Photo credit for Lavash Pizza: Jennifer Martine for Best Lunch Box Ever (Chronicle Books, 2013)
Comments
01.09.2011 at8:40 PM #
Mop Prime
Ingenious idea for quick & easy pizza. And you are right, “necessity is the mother of invention,” but ingenuity goes hand-in-hand. Great blog!
01.10.2011 at3:24 PM #
Sarah Rivera
The egg on top is genius. We make a toast version and call it “volcano eggs.” Do you have any recipes for a whole wheat crust?
01.10.2011 at3:24 PM #
momskitchenhandbook
Use your favorite pizza crust recipe and substitute whole wheat flour for half the white flour called for in the recipe. You can also find a good recipe from Eating Well magazine here: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/whole_wheat_pizza_dough.html
01.26.2011 at3:53 AM #
Kelly Dozois
Katie..
fantastic..ran in the door 6:30 without a dinner plan..pulled up this idea. I didn’t have some of the ingredients, but I substituted gorgonzola for cheddar and Italian spice and cumin seed for the spices, left off the meat and put a bunch of spinach on top. Every piece was gobbled up and my husband said it reminded him of a famous pizza in St. Louis called Imo’s Pizza!
The ten minutes of cooking allowed for a fast salad, toasted walnuts and all. It would have been the perfect “wonder woman” meal creation if the salad dressing I had made a couple of nights ago and was shaking up hadn’t sprayed all over my face, blazer and top! Oh well..next time I will remember the apron.
Thanks again!
Kelly
01.26.2011 at3:53 AM #
momskitchenhandbook
Yay. So glad it all came together. I like the improvising, too. That’s what it’s all about.
06.27.2011 at5:31 PM #
Alison
This was amazing. I used arugula and it was delicious. My children loved the sauce so much that I made with basil and used it as an uncooked pasta sauce. I love your blog.
Thanks
06.27.2011 at5:31 PM #
Katie Morford
Thank you! I like the idea for a quick pasta sauce.
07.27.2012 at7:36 AM #
Anne Mullen
A friend introduced me to Pesto Pita Pizza. Since I’m not a “make it myself” cook, this is great for me: Cut pitas in half lengthwise and crosswise so you have 4 half crusts from each pita. Slather with pesto sauce, then top with whatever. I put on chopped black olives, sliced tomatoes, sliced red onions and cheese; sometimes I use pepperjack, sometimes cheddar or regular jack. Bake in a hot oven until the cheese is melted, about 5-7 minutes. Yum. Great as leftovers, cold or hot.
10.01.2013 at4:39 PM #
Pam H
Made it last night for today’s lunch and it was a hit – thanks!
I used spinach – as written here as opposed to the arugula in the book – and a combo of the Trader Joe’s mexican blend and mozzarella.
Girls want more already!
10.01.2013 at4:39 PM #
Katie Morford
Oh good…glad the girls liked it. You can put pretty much whatever you want on the pizza, I’d just stay away from piling on too much since the crust is so thin. Sometimes I’ll chop up leftover cooked veggies and add those as well.
06.14.2014 at1:20 PM #
David
You are a gifted writer.
12.11.2014 at1:53 PM #
Jade
Made the Lavash pizza today (TJ’s whole wheat lavash, their pizza sauce in a jar and mozzarella). We have used English muffins, pita bread, etc. for pizza and I am thrilled to find another easy “crust.” Thanks!