Friday Night Pizza

Once in a while, you just have to have a pizza. If you have decided not to have a “cheat” day and want to stay paleo, try this recipe. The almond meal crust is best if it is made very thinly. Load it up with any of your favorite combinations of vegetables and meats. 

Almond meal is available in some supermarkets and most health food stores. It is expensive compared to flour, but worth the splurge if you are only baking with it occasionally.

Crust:

1 cup almond meal

1 egg

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, or 2 teaspoons of fresh rosemary, chopped

Toppings:

¾ cup organic spaghetti or pizza sauce

½ pound of hot Italian nitrite free sausage

½ onion, sliced thinly

2 small tomatoes, sliced

¼ cup red bell pepper, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Red pepper flakes

Fresh basil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all crust ingredients in a bowl. Roll into a ball with your hands. (If dough is sticky, add a little more almond meal.) Spray a pan with olive oil. (I used a 10” skillet.) Press the dough into the pan, spreading it with your fingers and making an edge to hold your toppings. Make the crust as thin as you can. Bake for about 20 minutes or until it begins to brown. Remove from oven, but leave oven on.

To make topping:

Cut sausages into pieces, or remove casing and crumble into a pan. Cook until almost done. Drain off grease and return to pan. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.

To assemble pizza:

Spread prepared crust with spaghetti or pizza sauce and add on sausage mixture. Place tomatoes on top, and tear basil into pieces and sprinkle on the pizza, along with red pepper flakes to taste. Bake for an additional 15- 20 minutes, or until bubbly and crisp.