Today we are making a pizza that's a little out of the ordinary! You must know by now how much I love harissa paste, so I couldn't resist adding it on a pizza for a bit of a kick. This bold combination might raise an eyebrow, but take my word for it, the flavours meld together beautifully for a truly delicious and memorable pizza.
Vegan, refined sugar free | Serves 1 | MAIN
Ingredients:
- 1/2 aubergine
- 2 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of harissa paste
- 3 tablespoon of tomato passata
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch dried oregano
- Dried basil leaves
- 1 ball of pizza dough
- Plant-based cheese (I used Parveggio grated from Green Vie)
- Semolina for spreading
- 20g plant-based feta
- Few fresh basil leaves
Steps:
1.Preheat your oven. If you are using a house conventional oven, bring it to the highest temperature (250°C - see notes for baking tray). If you are using a Piana gas pizza oven by Ziipa, turn it on to reach 400°C (this takes approximately 30 minutes).
2.Remove your dough from the fridge while you prepare the ingredients.
3.Cut the aubergine in really thin slices, add half of the olive oil, harissa paste and 1 tablespoon of the tomato paste, and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Add the aubergine slices and mix to combine.
4.In a small bowl, add the remaining oil and tomato passata, a pinch of salt, pepper, oregano and dried basil and mix to combine.
5.Crumble the feta in small pieces and wash the basil leaves, set aside.
6.Carefully place the dough on a clean surface that you have sprinkled some flour on and add some extra flour on top of the dough.
7.Gently press the dough from the centre outward with your fingers, rotating it as you go, until it forms a large disc.
8.Pick up the dough with your hands, make fists, and drape the dough over your knuckles. Gently and slowly pull your hands apart to stretch the dough. Rotate the dough over your hands and continue to stretch in this way a few more times until the dough has spread to about 10 to 12 inches in diameter.
9.Lay the dough back on the work surface, sprinkle a little flour or semolina on your pizza peel or a wooden chopping board, and lay the dough on it.
10.Before you start adding ingredients, shake the pizza peel/board back and forth to make sure that the pizza moves. Then spread the tomato passata mixture, sprinkle some cheese, add a layer of the marinated aubergine slices and finish with some oregano.
11.Carefully slide the prepared pizza from the peel or board onto the preheated oven baking tray or preheated pizza stone.
12.In a house oven, bake it for 5-6 minutes or until golden. If you are using a pizza oven, it can take from 2-4 minutes.
13.If using the Piana gas pizza oven, use the wheel to rotate it.
14.Once baked, remove from the oven, sprinkle the feta and basil leaves, cut and enjoy!
Enjoy!
Notes:
*When preheating the oven at home, add your oven baking tray in to heat as well but turned up-sight down.
*Click here for some more harissa recipes!