Roasted Eggplant and Mozzarella Pizza
From the New York Times
Ingredients
Pizza dough
2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes (2 medium, or 1 large)
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
Kosher salt, as needed
Black pepper, as needed
½ cup canned tomatoes, puréed
4 to 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, to taste
Red-pepper flakes, as needed
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
Basil leaves or basil microgreens
Flaky sea salt
Instructions
To prepare toppings: On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the eggplant generously with oil, salt and pepper. Roast eggplant on the bottom rack until caramelized and tender, 40 to 45 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from the oven and raise the oven heat to 500 degrees.
Prepare pizza dough according to the package.
On a piece of parchment paper, stretch out one of the balls of dough to a 12-inch round. Spread 2 tablespoons tomato purée on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Scatter on 1/4 of the sliced garlic, a large pinch of red-pepper flakes and drizzle with oil to taste.
Arrange 1/4 of the roasted eggplant on top. Use a pizza peel or cookie sheet to slide the parchment onto the pizza stone. Bake until crispy and golden on the top and bottom, 7 to 10 minutes. Use tongs to pull the pizza out of the oven and onto a wire rack to cool.
Immediately top with chunks of cheese, pulling it apart with your hands into bite-size pieces. Top with basil, more oil to taste and flaky sea salt. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.