COMICE PEAR AND GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

Recipe taken from The Fruit Company.

1 large pizza crust

1 large Comice pear, thinly sliced

12 oz. goat cheese crumbled

8 oz. thickly sliced bacon, cut into 2 in. squares (about 5-6 slices)

(or 1 Cup toasted walnuts, for a vegetarian version)

1 c. Arugula Pesto

3-4 Tablespoon Honey Balsamic Glaze
Preheat oven to 475°F

Prepare a 14 or 16 in. pizza pan by lightly coating with cooking spray or scantly dusting with cornmeal

Roll out pizza crust thinly  and place on prepared pan.

Par bake crust for 4-5 minutes on 475°F

Meanwhile,  cut bacon into large 2 in. pieces and cook on medium high heat until lightly browned, but not cooked completely. Bacon will continue to cook and further crisp in the oven.

Once crust is par baked, crumble on goat cheese then evenly place on the bacon and thinly sliced Comice pears.

Baked at 475°F for 7-9 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and pears are golden around the edges and roasted through.

Remove from oven and let cool for a minute before spooning on arugula pesto and drizzling on the honey balsamic glaze.

Pizza Dough: makes 2, 14 -16 in. thin crust pizzas

1 Tablespoon (or 1 package) Dry Yeast

½ Cup warm water

1 Teaspoon Sugar

3 – 3 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour

2 Teaspoon Salt

¾ Cup Milk

¼ Cup Olive Oil

Mix yeast, warm water, and sugar in a small bowl and let proof for approximately 5 minutes or until the yeast starts to bubble.

In a medium sized mixing bowl or in a kitchen aid with a dough hook or similar appliance with a dough attachment, blend flour and salt, then after yeast is proofed, mix in remaining ingredients starting on low to medium speed, then increasing to a faster speed till all ingredients are well combined or until the dough forms a ball and begins to slightly pull away from the sides.

Remove from the bowl onto a slightly floured surface and knead for a minute or two.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about an hour or until the dough has approximately doubled in size.

After the dough has risen, punch it down, divide in two and it’s ready to use.

Arugula Pesto: makes approximately 2 ½ c of finished pesto

2 Cups Packed Arugula (approx. a 5 oz. container)

¾ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

½ Cup Toasted Pine Nuts

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice (about half of a large lemon)

1 small clove garlic

salt to taste

Wash and dry your arugula well. Even a few teaspoons of water left on the leaves will substantially water down the flavor of your pesto.

To toast the pine nuts, place nuts in a dry sauté pan on medium high heat shaking or stirring the nuts continuously until they are lightly browned in color and their aroma intensifies.

Place all ingredients except the olive oil into a blender or food processor (I prefer a food processor), and pulse while drizzling the olive oil in a slow but steady stream.

You are looking for a smooth, but not liquid consistency. The sauce should be of medium thickness, adjust with more or less olive oil (or lemon juice) to your desired consistency.

Honey Balsamic Glaze:

1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

¼ Cup Honey

Place ingredients in a small saucepan and on medium heat reduce by half.

The sauce will thicken as it reduces and should coat the back of a spoon when done. Be careful when it’s cooking not to get it on your skin as the reduced sugars in both the honey and balsamic will act like caramel and can stick to and burn your skin.

The reduction will thicken more as it cools and you may need to reheat it on low heat before using if it thickens too significantly.