In the fall, it seems like the days are never quite long enough to get a family meal on the table. Between soccer practice, stacking wood, cleaning up the garden, and after school activities, time is of the essence and quick and easy recipes work best.
Our family loves pizza, and I love the convenience of prepared pizza dough, either made in the bread machine or purchased from the supermarket. While the oven is preheating, we roll out the dough and prepare the toppings. As the pizza bakes, there is just enough time to cut up vegetables for a salad and set the table.
Spicy Clam Pizza is a homemade take on a gourmet-style pie. Start by prebaking the pizza dough before adding the toppings, as over-cooking often makes the clams rubbery. Fresh clams are not required, and the briny flavor of canned chopped clams is quite savory. We enjoy the razor clams that we harvest on low-drain tides and store in the freezer.
The “heat” or the spiciness of this pizza is purely a personal preference, and a nice balance to the seafood. The amount of chopped garlic and jalapenos can be varied to suit your family’s taste. This recipe is also delicious as a white pizza, without the tomato sauce.
These days, as our family is smaller, one pie is all we can eat. By refrigerating or freezing the second pizza before the final baking, I can bask in the satisfaction of knowing that when pressed for time, another meal is waiting.
Spicy Clam Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 package Bread Machine Pizza Dough or whole wheat pizza dough
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup Pasta and Pizza Sauce ( we enjoy Puttanesca)
- 6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped (amount may vary to taste)
- 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- corn meal for dusting pizza pans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle 2 – 12 inch pizza pans with cornmeal.
- Divide the dough into 2 sections. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough to a 12 inch circle. Gently transfer the dough to the pizza pans. Brush the surface lightly with olive oil. Bake the pizza dough until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom.
- While the pizza dough is cooking, in a small bowl, combine the finely chopped garlic and jalapeno pepper with 1-tablespoon olive oil. When the crust is ready, spread the mixture evenly over the crust. Spread ½ cup of the Pasta & Pizza sauce on each crust. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, then scatter the chopped clams and red onion. Return the pizza to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is crispy and golden, about 5 – 8 more minutes. Sprinkle the parsley over the top, cut each pizza into 6 wedges and serve.