I Want Pizza! P-I-Z-Z-A!

Over on Erin's Food Files last week, I flagged a recipe for prosciutto, jalapeno, goat cheese pizza.  John & I like making homemade pizza & I'm always on the lookout for new & interesting toppings.  When I saw this, I knew we had to try it.

I found most of the ingredients at Trader Joe's:  crust, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella & goat cheese crumbles (I got the jalapenos & marinara at Publix).  I wasn't sure if I wanted to use goat cheese because I don't love it.  I took my quandary to the interweb & asked my Facebook friends if I should use goat cheese, or substitute it with ricotta or mascarpone.  I ultimately decided to make the recipe in its original form & if the goat cheese didn't work, I'd change it next time.

Turns out, I like goat cheese!  Who knew?  The goat cheese really made the pizza.  You need the weird, tangy cheese to balance out the jalapeno.  It totally works.  This pizza was soooo good!  I highly recommend it.

PROSCIUTTO, JALAPENO, GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

Adapted from Erin's Food Files

Serves 4-ish

INGREDIENTS

1 lb thawed pizza dough (we used Trader Joe's)
olive oil
cornmeal
flour
1/4 cup marinara
fresh mozzarella (we used a few slices spread over the pizza)
2 jalapenos, seeded & chopped
2 oz goat cheese crumbles
3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
red pepper flakes
fresh cracked pepper

DIRECTIONS

Shape the dough into a ball.  Place it in an olive oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, & let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, pressing down with floured fingertips, shape the dough into a small, flat disk.

Working from the center, push the dough outward while spreading your fingers, making the disk larger.

Pick up the dough.  Move your hands along the edges, allowing gravity to pull the dough into a 14-inch circle.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Preheat your pizza stone with the oven.  Sprinkle the pizza stone with cornmeal & place the dough on the stone.  Brush the dough with 1 tbsp olive oil & bake until puffed & golden, 15-20 minutes.

Top the partially cooked dough with the marinara, mozzarella & jalapenos.  Slice the prosciutto slices into 1-inch wide pieces & layer them onto the dough.  Top with crumbled goat cheese & sprinkle with red pepper flakes & fresh cracked pepper.

Bake until the crust is crisp & the cheese has melted, 12-15 minutes.  Let cool for 1-2 minutes, then slice & serve!

Delish!