Veggies Recipe

Clean and cut

Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp cloth and slice. Seed and thinly slice the green pepper. Thinly slice the onion. Seed the tomato and dice it. Seed and finely chop the jalapeño. Roughly chop the spinach, chiffonade the basil, quarter the drained artichoke hearts, and mash the roasted garlic cloves.

Place all prepared raw vegetables and herbs in a large bowl and toss gently to combine. Set aside while you prepare other components.

Drain and slice the green and black olives. Chop the hot giardiniera and mild pickled peppers into bite-sized pieces. If using canned pineapple, drain well and cut into small chunks. Chop the anchovy fillets finely.

Add the olives, giardiniera, mild peppers, pineapple, and anchovies to the bowl with the vegetables. Toss gently to distribute evenly.

Cook mushrooms, peppers, onions, and spinach

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and a pinch (about 1/4 tsp) of salt and cook for 4 minutes until they release moisture and begin to brown. Add the sliced onion and green pepper and cook another 3 minutes until softened. Add the chopped jalapeño and the chopped spinach and cook just until the spinach wilts, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl with the other vegetables.

If you prefer all vegetables raw (for a fresher topping), skip this step and proceed to assemble.

Add the torn fresh mozzarella and dollops of ricotta to the combined vegetable mixture. Toss gently so the cheeses are distributed. If the ricotta is very thick, stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice to loosen slightly before adding.

Sprinkle the chopped basil over the mixture and gently fold to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, roasted garlic paste (from mashed roasted garlic), dried oregano, red pepper flakes, remaining salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Drizzle this vinaigrette evenly over the assembled veggies and cheeses and toss gently to coat.

Let the mixture sit 5–10 minutes for flavors to meld. Taste again and adjust with a little more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired.

Serve at room temperature as a pizza topping, sandwich filling, antipasto salad, or side. If using on pizza, spread the mixture over prepared dough and bake according to your pizza recipe (typically 10–12 minutes at 475°F / 245°C).