The Veggie Recipe

Name: Tony's Italian Restaurant & Pizzerias The Veggie Recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 piece pizza dough (store-bought or homemade); 1 tbs olive oil; 1 tsp cornmeal or flour (for dusting); 1 cups pizza sauce; 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese; 2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese (optional); 1 piece green bell pepper; 1 cups black olives (sliced, canned or jarred); 1 cups mushrooms (white or cremini); 0.5 piece yellow or red onion; 0.5 cups diced tomatoes (canned, drained or fresh diced); 1 tsp dried oregano; 0.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional); 0.25 tsp salt; 0.125 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Inspired by Tony's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

Time1h

Serves4

Included: pizza sauce, green bell peppers, black olives, mushrooms, onions, diced tomatoes.

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Ingredients

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Dough & Base

1 piece pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp cornmeal or flour (for dusting)

Sauce & Cheese

1 cups pizza sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Vegetable Toppings

1 piece green bell pepper

1 cups black olives (sliced, canned or jarred)

1 cups mushrooms (white or cremini)

1/2 piece yellow or red onion

1/2 cups diced tomatoes (canned, drained or fresh diced)

Finishing & Seasoning

1 tsp Dried oregano

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

Dough & Base

Preheat and Prepare

Place an oven rack in the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) for at least 30 minutes. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while preheating. Lightly dust a pizza peel or baking sheet with cornmeal or flour.

If using refrigerated dough, let it sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes so it becomes easier to stretch. Brush the top of the dough lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil to help browning.

On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll the dough into a roughly 12-inch round (about 0.5 inch thick at the center). Transfer the shaped dough to the prepared peel or baking sheet.

Sauce & Cheese

Spread 1 cup pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border for the crust.

Sprinkle 2 cups shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce, leaving small gaps for vegetables to show through. If using, sprinkle 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan over the top.

Vegetable Toppings

Prepare the vegetables: core and thinly slice the green bell pepper into rings or strips. Thinly slice 1 cup mushrooms. Slice or mince 1/2 onion thinly. If canned olives are whole, slice them; measure 1 cup sliced. Drain canned diced tomatoes well (or use fresh) and pat lightly with paper towel to remove excess moisture; measure 1/2 cup.

Distribute the vegetables evenly over the cheese: arrange bell pepper slices, scatter mushrooms, spread sliced black olives, sprinkle the sliced onion, and dot the pizza with the drained diced tomatoes. Try to keep moisture-heavy ingredients (tomatoes and mushrooms) in moderation so the crust doesn't get soggy.

Finishing & Seasoning

Season the assembled pizza with 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional), 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a light grind of black pepper. If desired, drizzle a tiny amount of olive oil over the top for sheen (skip if you prefer a lighter pizza).

If using a pizza stone, slide the pizza from the peel onto the hot stone. If using a baking sheet, place it on the preheated oven rack.

Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, checking at 8 minutes. The pizza is done when the crust is golden and blistered in spots and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Rotate once halfway through baking for even browning if your oven has hot spots.

Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for 3–5 minutes on a cutting board. This helps the cheese set slightly and makes slicing easier.

Slice into 8 pieces, garnish with an extra pinch of dried oregano or grated Parmesan if desired, and serve hot.