Celebrating More Herbs Less Salt Day w/ Naturally Flavored Easy Pizza

Yesterday was More Herbs Less Salt Day and it made me run to the pantry and clear the shelves of anything with high sodium content. I was resolved to use more herbs and natural ingredients to flavor the foods I made that day. So with rosemary, thyme, garlic, fresh tomatoes, cheeses and produce in-hand, I whipped up with delightfully easy pizza.

In fact, I made so much, I ended up inviting friends over for an impromptu pizza gathering.

Naturally Flavored Easy Pizza

Servings: 6, Cooking Time: 15-18 minutes

Ingredients:

3 medium sized Ciabatta loaves, sliced in half
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 large tomatoes, cut in small cubes
1 large onion, cut in cubes
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
¾ cup pepperoni slices
1 Tablespoon chopped basil
1 Tablespoon chopped thyme
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
½ cup grated Parmesan
½ cup mozzarella

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Brush inside of bread loaves with extra virgin olive oil, then spread out the minced garlic all over .
3. Next spread the ricotta cheese on the loaves.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients: tomatoes, onions, peppers and pepperoni. Sprinkle the basil, thyme, parsley. Top with Parmesan and mozzarella.
5. Place loaves in a pre-greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or till cheese melts and top is brown on edges.

TIP: Feel free to add other herbs or vegetable produce as desired. You can also use any type of French bread for this pizza recipe.

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Elizabeth Quirino believes that “food brings the world together.” She loves to cook, develop recipes, photograph & write about her culinary adventures on her 2 blogs Asian in America & The Queen’s Notebook. Outside the kitchen, Elizabeth paints watercolors, reads everything and ends every week with ballroom dancing. For great food stories find her on Facebook and follow AnalystQueen on Twitter.