A delicious roasted vegetable pizza features roasted red onions, garlic, artichokes, slow roasted tomatoes, goat cheese, mozzarella, arugula and a balsamic drizzle. Vegetarian!
I recently ate at Jack Astor’s and tried their Veg Out Pizza. It was delicious, so I took notes. Well, mentally, anyway. This weekend, I had a go at recreating it at home. It was a bonus that this particular recipe was pretty easy to duplicate. So I not only borrowed their pizza idea here, I stole their name, too, because I’m shameless. (It’s just such a great name. I couldn’t help myself.)
This vegetable-only pizza features roasted red onions, garlic and artichokes, slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, goat cheese and mozzarella, and is finished with a drizzle of balsamic and a sprinkling of fresh arugula. All my favourite tastes on one pizza!
Don’t be afraid of the onions. Once they’re roasted, they are lovely and sweet, so load them on. You don’t need a ton of cheese on this pizza though, just a handful of mozzarella and a scattering of goat cheese crumbles will do. I know it doesn’t look like a lot of toppings here, but trust me, there is a ton of flavour going on.
It should be said, I take my pizza a wee bit seriously. You see, I’m on a life-long quest to make a perfect pizza at home. That said, I don’t expect everyone to feel the same way. So the great thing about this pizza is that you can go all in and make your own pizza dough and sauce, or you can use a store bought of one or the other, or both. You can slow-roast the cherry tomatoes ahead of time, or you can just slice them in half and toss them on your pizza (where they’ll cook up nicely). The roasting of the onions, artichokes and the garlic takes place while the oven pre-heats for the pizza, so that part is dead easy.
Cook’s Notes
Olives. It’s worth mentioning that the original dish specified olives (black kalamata, I believe). I don’t like olives, so I asked to have my pizza without. My recreated version here doesn’t have them either, because, well … it’s my blog and I don’t like olives :) I’m sure if you like olives, you’d like them on this pizza. I think. So feel free to throw some on, if, you know … the thought of it doesn’t make you gag.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Pizza with Goat Cheese and Balsamic
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pizza dough, store-bought or home made (or see below for recipe suggestion)
- 15 oz Pizza sauce, store-bought or home made (see below for recipe suggestion)
- 10 Cherry tomatoes, halved or halved and slow-roasted (see below for recipe)
- 1 can artichoke quarters
- 1 large red onion, sliced about 1/4-inch thick (across the equator), and separated into rings
- 2 cloves garlic, whole
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 oz Goat cheese
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Cornmeal
- For garnish:
- Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling on cooked pizza
- Fresh baby arugula, for sprinkling on cooked pizza
Instructions
- If you are making the Lahey pizza dough, mix up all the ingredients the night before and leave out on counter until ready to make your pizza the next day.
- If you are making the slow roast tomatoes, roast off earlier in the day (or the night before) and refrigerate until ready to make your pizza.
- hour before eating, with rack in bottom third of oven, place a pizza stone into cold oven, then preheat oven to 480-500 degrees. (*Tip: if you don't have a pizza stone, I've heard a cast-iron frying pan works well.)
- minutes before eating, slice the onions and peel garlic, but leave whole. Arrange onion and garlic into a single layer on a baking sheet. Drain some artichoke quarters on a piece of paper towel and then place onto the baking sheet as well. Drizzle all with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Pop into the (hot) oven just until soft and lightly browned (it won't take long in a 480° oven, 4-6 minutes), then set aside to cool.
- Place dough onto a well-floured surface and divide into two pieces. Sprinkle a sheet of parchment paper with some cornmeal. Place floured dough onto parchment and shape dough into a round. Top with pizza sauce, roasted onions, roasted artichokes, cherry tomatoes, grated mozzarella and crumbled goat cheese. Mince the roasted garlic and sprinkle evenly over pizza. Using a pizza peel (or large cutting board, slide the pizza and the parchment onto your pizza stone). Bake, until dough is cooked and well-browned (Tap on the side of the dough. It should sound hollow). Remove from oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with fresh arugula.
Hi! I just had this pizza for the first time yesterday in Kingston, ON, at Jack Astors. It was the best pizza I’ve had in a really long time. I do have a question though. Is it possible that the oil they drizzle on the pizza is more than just balsamic? My sauce had a bit of a sweet flavour to it. It also seemed a bit thicker than straight oil. Thanks! I have bookmarked your recipe. :)
Hi Mel. I know exactly what you’re saying. Here’s my thought – I have two kinds of balsamic in my cupboard – and everyday one and a really good one. My really good one is thick and sweet, and that’s what I used to drizzle on my pizza, so it seemed very similar to my Jack Astors experience. Somehow, I doubt they use a really good balsamic though, so I’m thinking it’s probably a sweetened, balsamic reduction.
Wow, I’ve just found my new weekend dinner!
Enjoy. It’s a delicious pizza!
Gorgeous pizza, happy to discover your blog!
Thanks and likewise. I’ll be spending some time browsing your archives tonight :)
This photo is gorgeous! And the pizza looks wonderful as well. I’m new to your blog – I love it and love your photography!
Thanks so much, Sonja. Happy to have discovered your blog, as well!
…..Exactly!
A girl after my own heart — and my own quest! …For perfect, made-at-home pizza. Jim Lahey has helped me to get the closest yet to perfection, bless him! but I am not at all satisfied :) Which is why I need to make THIS soon! The flavors sounds so amazing! Love the goat cheese, roasted veggies, plus arugula and balsamic.. yummmm! It’s ok if you don’t like olives. More for me, anyway ;)
I can’t stand pepperoni on my pizza. it is so gross!… and not allowed in my house.
Hi Sophie, I went back and forth between Lahey’s dough and Reinhart’s dough, but Lahey’s is closest to my preference for pizza dough. Now if I can just figure out how to make my oven go up to 700°!
Superbe recette, très originale.
Je suis ravie d’avoir découvert votre joli blog gourmand.
Merci pour ce beau partage
Merci beaucoup, mamzelle.
You and I could share a pizza happily – I’m in the same boat with you as far as toppings :) I really don’t like processed meat on my pizza – all that awful salami and ham. But bacon, that’s okay with me :)
I’d never kick bacon off my pizza, for sure :) Btw, I made bacon recently. A fun food challenge and delicious!
This sounds delicious Jennifer. I think I would skip the black olives too, but I do like green olives!
Thanks Liz, I’m afraid I don’t like them in any colour. Unfortunately for me, the rest of the family loves them, so they are often around stinking up the joint :)
A year ago I would have left the olives off as well but recently I have discovered some excellent non-salty versions that I could eat by the jar full.
I don’t think the saltiness part of olives would be an issue for me. I think it’s just the olive part ;) I have trouble even with the smell of them.
You had me at goat cheese.. I LOVE it on veggie pizzas! This sounds like an amazing combination and since I have everything (but arugula) in my kitchen right now, it might just be dinner tonight. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks Stephanie. The flavours in this pizza are so good together (and goat cheese – can’t go wrong!). Enjoy!