Greek pita pizzas
As much as we love pizzas made with homemade dough, there are times when we want pizza but don’t fancy making dough from scratch. So over the years we’ve experimented with a variety of bread bases as alternatives to dough such as flat-breads, baguette, English muffins and even Indian naan bread. But one of the best instant pizza crusts we’ve used is pita bread. It’s a staple of many Mediterranean meals; from pita bread sandwiches to homemade pita chips served with dips and spreads. So using traditional Greek pita bread instead of the usual pizza base provides the perfect canvas for these Greek-inspired pita pizzas.
In this recipe, whole grain pita breads are spread with tomato paste and topped with a mix of simple Greek ingredients: sweet red peppers, red onion, Kalamata olives, oregano, garlic, and crumbled feta (which browns beautifully in the hot oven).
These Greek Pita Pizzas make a deliciously healthy lunch or dinner. You can serve them with a side salad for a more satisfying meal, and they make great festive food served with a wine or cold beer.
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove — minced
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 red pepper — diced
¼ red onion — finely diced
10 Kalamata olives — pitted and halved
4 oz (110g) feta cheese — crumbled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon wedge
Variations: You can use green pepper instead of red; add anchovies, tuna, shrimp, or shredded rotisserie chicken; spread hummus over the pita breads instead of tomato paste; add canned or jarred artichoke hearts or baby spinach leaves.
