Deep-Dish Pizza with Roasted Vegetables
NOTE: Eggplant,
zucchini, squash, and bell peppers are roasted with garlic and
thyme and then layered into a deep-dish pie with tomato sauce and
mozzarella.
1 recipe Deep-Dish Pizza (see chapter four)
1 medium eggplant (about 1/2 pound), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
2 small zucchini (about 1/2 pound), halved and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 small yellow squash (about 1/2 pound), halved and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers (about 1 pound), cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
8 medium garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing on pan and dough and coating hands
Salt and ground black pepper
11/2 cups Thick Tomato Sauce (see chapter two)
4 ounces provolone cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Fit dough into pan as directed in master recipe through step 2.
2. While preparing dough, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss vegetables, garlic, and 1 tablespoon thyme with 4 tablespoons oil. Season vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. Spread vegetables out over large baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees.
3. Prick dough all over with fork and bake without toppings in preheated oven until set, about 4 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Brush crust with 1 tablespoon oil. Spread tomato sauce evenly over crust up to edge of lip. Arrange roasted vegetables over sauce.
4. Return pizza to oven and bake until crust is lightly browned around edges, 30 to 35 minutes.
5. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme over toppings. Return pizza to oven and bake until cheese is melted and bottom of crust is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Remove pizza from oven, cut into wedges, and serve immediately.