National Pizza Month Week 1: Fig, Caramelized Onion and Prosciutto Pizza with Rosemary and Blue Cheese

Each week during National Pizza Month I will be bringing you one new homemade pizza recipe.  Because pizza is awesome, and I love finding new ways to prepare it.  This pie combines some of my favorite ingredients.  The sweetness of the figs and onions combined with the savory prosciutto and sharp earthy flavor of the blue cheese make an awesome flavor profile.

My first take at this pizza resulted in near catastrophe.  It all started when I took my wedding and engagement ring off to make the dough.  I’ll cut to the chase and tell you it had a happy ending when I found both rings in the bottom of my trashcan a full 24 hours later.  But the very stressful interim involved me walking around my backyard in rain boots stomping in dog poop looking for something that shines.  Regardless, the pizza was delicious.

On Wednesday, we had Holly and Jason over for dinner.  When I asked Holly what I could make them to thank them for watching our pooches while we were in Atlanta last weekend, her request was “make that pizza you made when you lost your ring!”  So I did.  And this time I kept my rings in plain sight and put them back on as soon as I finished the dough!

Fig, Caramelized Onion and Prosciutto Pizza with Rosemary and Blue Cheese

A Messy Kitchen Original

Ingredients:

• Your favorite pizza crust; I recommend this homemade honey wheat crust.
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
  
• 2 oz blue cheese
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 8-10 fresh figs
• 1 spring fresh rosemary, finely cut or chopped
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• parmesan reggiano

Cooking Instructions:

These instructions assume that you have already prepared your crust; I always pre-bake my crust before adding toppings so that it’s crisper.

1. Heat 1 T olive oil in a medium skillet.  Cook onion over medium heat until soft and translucent.  Add balsamic vinegar and continue to cook slowly until onion is caramelized.  The entire process will take some time; I recommend doing it while you roll out your dough.  Add sliced prosciutto to pan and cook for a minute or so.
2. Brush 1 T olive oil over the crust.  Spread caramelized onions, figs, prosciutto, blue cheese and rosemary evenly across the pie.  Sprinkle with parmesan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for an additional 5-8 minutes until crust is done and cheese has begun to melt.

Johanna