Moroccan-Spiced Grilled Eggplant Pizza

The key to success when using premade pizza dough is letting it fully come up to room temperature.

Red onions are milder than both white and yellow, and when roasted, their slight sweetness is intensified.

Whether to first peel the eggplant is a personal choice. I don’t mind the nutrient-dense skin, so I leave it on.

Generously brush olive oil onto both sides of the sliced eggplant before grilling.

I specifically call out Mina Harissa Spicy Moroccan Red Pepper Sauce because I love the flavor. It’s available online and locally at Whole Foods, Jimbo’s Naturally and some local markets (my small neighborhood mom and pop grocer carries it). If you can’t find Mina brand, choose any harissa paste or sauce or even substitute with your favorite chili paste, adjusting amounts to taste.

Makes 1 (12-to-14-inch) pizza

Olive oil

1 pound fresh, premade whole-wheat pizza dough

1⁄ 2

medium eggplant

Salt

1⁄ 4 medium red onion

2⁄ cup pizza sauce

3

(see recipe at left)

2-3 teaspoons Mina

Lightly oil a small bowl. Form dough into a tight ball and place in the bowl; cover with a warm damp towel and set aside.

Slice eggplant into 1⁄4- inch rounds. Generously salt each side of every slice. Stand eggplant slices in a colander with a plate below it to catch the run-off. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Preheat grill to 450-475 degrees.

Thinly slice about a quarter cup’s worth of red onion. Set aside.

Measure out the pizza sauce and stir in 2-3 teaspoons of harissa, or to taste; set aside.

After 30 minutes, quickly rinse each eggplant slice; blot dry well with paper towels. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices generously with olive oil. When the grill is hot, place the eggplant on the grill and cook with the lid closed until just charred, about 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the eggplant slices and repeat. Remove them from the grill and set aside.

On a lightly f loured surface, roll out the pizza dough to about 12 to 14 inches round.

Harissa Spicy Moroccan Red Pepper Sauce, or to taste

Cornmeal, as needed

Generously brush olive oil on one side. Carefully oil grates and place dough, oil side down, onto the grill, close lid and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until grill marks just appear on the bottom. In the meantime, spread about 2 to 3 tablespoons of cornmeal over a pizza peel (or upside-down baking sheet if you don’t have a pizza peel). Remove pizza crust from grill and place uncooked-sidedown onto the prepared pizza peel. Jiggle the peel a bit to make sure the dough slides around easily. Lift the dough and add more cornmeal if it resists. Spread the crust with sauce. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the pizza, reserving about 1⁄ cup of cheese. Top

4 the pizza with onions and eggplant slices. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the eggplant. Jiggle the pizza peel again to make sure the pizza moves freely. Use a spatula to loosen pizza if it’s stuck. Coat the grates with oil, then shimmy the pizza off the peel onto the grates, close the lid and cook the pizza until cheese has melted and the crust has grill marks, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to the pizza peel and allow to rest 5 minutes, then top with basil just before slicing.

Recipes are copyrighted by Anita L. Arambula from Confessions of a Foodie. Reprinted by permission.

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Handful basil leaves, torn to bite-size pieces