Filed under: By Main Ingredient, By Origin, Italian, Tomatoes
I come from an Italian-American family, where food is possibly the most important thing. I was required to be home every night for dinner (usually with guests in tow to taste my mother’s incredible cooking), and even now, when I’m home from school, I hardly ever want to go out, because I get restaurant-quality cooking at home.
I try my best, but I don’t know if I’ll ever cook like my mom. For one, she has access to Zabars in New York and an insatiable food budget. All I have is the measly budget I set for myself and some fine but not great cooking tools.
The one thing I inherited my mom is an understanding for flavor and texture. I might not be able to make something with foie gras or porcini mushrooms every night of the week, but I know how to take simple ingredients and pull them together to make something tasty. Maybe it’s the Italian in me.
The American in me, however, knows how to improvise. Like this tortilla pizza. When I want pizza, I’m not going to make pizza dough. I’ve been known to make a pizza out of any bread product that will sit still: English muffins, bagels… heck, I’ve even made pizza on split baked potatoes. There’s something about the combination of tomatoes, garlic, oregano and basil, and of course the melty cheese, that I need to have, even when the only crust I can afford is a whole-wheat tortilla.
Note: The tortilla for this actually crisps up quite well: if you like thin-crust pizza, you’ll love this.
Stovetop Tortilla Pizza
1 tsp. olive oil
1 whole-wheat tortilla
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 oz. shredded cheese
basil (Note: I love basil and use it as an extra topping, when really it should be a garnish. Use your discretion with how much you like.)
Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. When the oil is heated, place the tortilla in the oil to fry for thirty seconds. When the edges begin to brown, flip it over and turn the heat down to medium-low. Spread the tomato paste over the tortilla. Top with the oregano and cheese. Cover and allow to cook until the cheese melts, 1-2 minutes. When the cheese has melted, add the basil.
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