Basic pizza: 10 toppings!

Variations

Toppings…

Potato, rocket and pesto: Use 1 tub chunky basil pesto for pizza sauce. Thinly slice 350g Desiree (red-skinned) potatoes. Place in a single layer, overlapping slightly, over pesto. Spray or drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with freshly ground black pepper. Omit mozzarella. Serve garnished with fresh rocket.

Eggplant, olive and caper: Cut 1 eggplant in thin rounds. Brush with olive oil and arrange on a baking tray. Bake at 200°C for about 10 minutes, or until browned and tender. Use a full-flavoured tomato pizza sauce and spread reasonably thickly over pizza base. Top with eggplant slices, pitted black olives and drained capers. Arrange sliced (not grated) mozzarella on top then sprinkle a little grated parmesan cheese over.

Mexican chilli bean: Mix one 400g can chilli beans, one 410 can corn kernels (drained) and one 400g can chopped tomatoes (semi-drained) with 1 finely chopped small red onion. Use as both the sauce and the topping. Spread over pizza base. If you prefer, add chopped red and green capsicum to the mix. Use Edam cheese instead of mozzarella.

Calzone: Calzone is a folded over pizza which encloses the filling. Calzone can be large or small and stuffed with any regular pizza topping. Roll out dough. Add filling to one half of the base leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Fold the other half of the base over topping and crimp dough edges together to seal. Place on a lightly oiled baking tray, brush with a little olive oil and bake at 220°C for 15-20 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and dough is puffed.

Seafood: Use a combination of seafood such as calamari rings, prawns, mussels, scallops or baby octopus. Or, use a ready-to-go shop-bought frozen marinara mix. Reduce mozzarella to a minimum and sprinkle with chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and a little olive oil before cooking.

Cheese, tomato and basil: Purée one 400g can tomatoes and add 2 tablespoons tomato paste. Mix well and spread over pizza base. Sprinkle mozzarella over and dot with fresh basil. Sprinkle 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese over top with a little freshly ground black pepper.

Mediterranean: Use a thin spread of pizza sauce. Top with thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons drained capers (thinly sliced) and 150g goat’s feta or other goat’s cheese. Drizzle with a little olive oil and dot with fresh basil.

Smoked chicken, cranberry and brie: Use cranberry sauce instead of a tomato-based pizza sauce. Top with sliced smoked chicken, sliced button mushrooms and sliced brie instead of mozzarella. Finely chopped red onion and finely sliced green capsicum can be used as well as or instead of mushrooms.

Chorizo, tomato and olive: For pizza sauce, purée one 400g can tomatoes (semi-drained) and add 2 tablespoons tomato paste. Top with sliced chorizo, black and green olives and sliced (not grated) mozzarella. Sliced mushrooms or capsicums are a delicious addition.

Pesto and roast vegetable: Use basil pesto instead of tomato-based pizza sauce. Top with Roasted vegetables cut in small pieces. Reduce mozzarella to a minimum and add 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.

HFG tip

Keep your pizza topping healthy by including lots of vegetables.