Bacon and Green Onion Pizza

Bacon and onions just go together really well.  So why not on pizza?  Making pizza’s at home is always a hit with my family.  Partly because, everyone gets to choose their own toppings.  For this pizza, I when with a combination of freshly sautéed bacon and green onions, or scallions.  The scallions give a more mild flavor than a red or yellow onion, which can be strong, and add a bit of an “herb” quality which actually lightens up the pizza just a bit.  I buy the dough (which is the hardest part of making pizza) from a local pizza shop, so it’s a very simple and fast recipe to make.  Hope you enjoy it!

Recipe Overview & Keys to Success

To make the best bacon and green onion pizza, make sure to do the following:

• If possible use a pizza stone, which are really great for getting a crispy curst.  Don’t have one? Use you heaviest bottom sheet pan, that will retain heat the best
• Heat the pizza stone, or pan, in a very hot oven (450+ degrees) for about 20 minutes before cooking; then slide the pizza onto the stone/pan
• Make sure you cook the bacon thoroughly, as it won’t really crisp up any more once it’s in the oven
• While you may not think of it, adding salt and pepper (basic seasoning) is still very important, so don’t forget it!

• 1 medium to large pizza dough
• 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 large shallot finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 strips bacon diced into 1 inch pieces
• 3 – 4 fresh green onions diced
• Salt & pepper
• Flour/Polenta to prevent the dough for sticking
• Olive oil          

• Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and coat the bottom with olive oil
• Add the shallot and garlic and sauté until soft, but not browned
• Add the tomato sauce and the oregano
• Cook for 20 – 30 minutes on a simmer, until slightly thickened
• Add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste and stir in
• The above steps can be done ahead and the pizza sauce frozen
• Heat your oven to 450 degrees, and preheat the pizza stone/pan for about 20 minutes prior to cooking
• Heat a sauté pan, Sautee the bacon in a drizzle of olive oil until crisp – then drain on paper towels
• Stretch, or roll, out to dough to about a 1/4 inch thickness, and transfer it to a pizza peel (or cutting board) that you’ve dusted with flour and corn meal/polenta
• Spread a thin layer of the pizza sauce over the dough, and then top with the mozzeralla cheese
• Season the pizza with salt and pepper
• Top evenly with the cooked bacon and green onions
• Slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone and cook for 8 – 12 minutes until the cheese is thoroughly melted and the crust is crisp
• Remove the pizza from the oven, and allow it to cool for 2 – 4 minutes, then serve it up!        

A lot of wines, both red and white will work really well with this pizza.  Generally, as there’s a tomato sauce, and bacon, which are both pretty rich, I’d go with a red, and probably a zinfandel, which I think goes really well with bacon.  Enjoy!