This recipe is truly authentic….why?…because the ingredients I use are all fresh, grown locally here in Sicily, or by me, and made with my neighbor Sara’s  Sicilian dough recipe she taught me. In my mind, it doesn’t get any better than this. Are you ready? Let’s begin!

Required Ingredients:

– Two pizza pans (Most women here in Sicily use square pans, not the round kinds)

– 1 quantity of Sara’s Sicilian pizza dough (see post)

-1 large jar of bottled home made tomato sauce (see post) or your favorite can of ready made tomato sauce, if you must =)

– 1 cup of grated sharp cheese

– 1 cup of sliced semi soft cheese, like good quality swiss cheese (called Emmenthaler). Just make sure the cheese you use is good quality.

– 4-5 TBSP of dried oregano (I grow most of my herbs in pots on my balcony)

– 4  pieces of smashed\crushed garlic (If you have a farmer’s market, by the garlic there!)

– 1 cup of good quality olive oil (In America, Bertolli is a good brand….extra virgin is sharp and pungent, which is great for the pizza)

– Any and all fresh veggies or meat you generally like on pizza….I’ll show you below what I like to put on my pizza!

Procedure:

– Lightly rub your pizza pans with a few drops of olive oil.

– Divide the dough in half and WITH YOUR HANDS, starting from the center, push the dough out towards the sides of the pan with your fingers. Don’t worry if you make a few holes along the way…just try to patch them as you work along. Then, with your finger tips, press down to form dimples all over the dough….this will allow the tomato sauce to sit well in the dough. Do the same with the other half of the dough on the second pizza pan. Drizzle olive oil over the dough. Set the pans aside.

Next, place the smashed garlics in a bowl and dump your tomato sauce over……drizzle some olive oil over the sauce.

Then add some dried oregano ( about 2-3 TBSP) and place the sauce aside.

In the meantime, start slicing or chopping all your fresh veggies. I like to add fresh parsley, mushrooms, onions, Italian or Greek green olives (I brine\preserve them myself…my mother-in-law has olive trees). I also like to add sauté bell peppers and zucchini. In addition, slice and grate the cheeses.

Now, returning to the pans: Add tomato sauce. Add grated sharp cheese, and begin layering with your toppings of choice. When finished, drizzle more olive oil on top, and sprinkle remaining oregano all over.

Now these yummies are ready for the oven. Preheat your oven to 220 Celsius or 425 Fahrenheit and bakeuntil pizza dough is crusty, and cheese is melted.

And here they are, my vegetarian pizzas, basking in all their glory! If only blogs had “smell-a-vision”!!!

Buon Appetito!

Wanita =)

PS. For more delicious and authentic recipes, be sure to check out my new eBook “Cucina Siciliana”…it’s packed with may recipes that have been handed down to me by my friends, neighbors, and family here in Sicily. You’ll love it and it’s only 99 cents!