Equipment
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
- 30 ml olive oil
- 50 g onion, finely chopped
- 75 g carrot, finely grated
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic, crushed
- 227 g canned tomatoes
- 33 g tomato paste
- 6 g dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 100 ml water
- 1 g salt
- ½ g black pepper, freshly ground
Toppings
- 12 pitta bread
- 200 g ham, finely chopped
- 250 g mozzarella, grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 286 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbohydrates
- 38 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 695 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 25 mg
- Potassium
- 286 mg
- Calcium
- 218 mg
- Iron
- 2.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 32 mg
- Phosphorus
- 237 mg
- Zinc
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 125 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 20 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 7 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.50 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.35 mg
- Niacin
- 3.8 mg
- Folate
- 82 mcg
- Water
- 90 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrot, and red pepper for 5 minutes until softened.
Add the crushed garlic to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent burning.
Stir in the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, bay leaf, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes until the liquid reduces and vegetables are tender.
Discard the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to process the sauce until it is completely smooth.
Set your grill or broiler to its highest temperature setting.
Place pitta breads on baking trays. Spread a layer of sauce over each, then add the chopped ham and grated mozzarella.
Grill the pizzas for 3 minutes until the pitta is crisp and the cheese is melted and browned.
Chef's Notes
- The sauce is an excellent way to include vegetables for picky eaters as it is blended smooth.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store sauce and toppings separately if not assembled.
Freezer: 1 month — Assemble pizzas fully before freezing; cook from frozen adding 5 minutes to grill time.
Reheating: Place under a grill or in an oven at 180°C (350°F) until the cheese is bubbling.
Troubleshooting
Soggy pitta base
Cause: The tomato sauce was too watery or too much sauce was applied.
Fix: Toast the pitta breads for 1 minute per side before adding toppings.
Prevention: Ensure the sauce is simmered until thick and the liquid has mostly evaporated before blending.
Cultural Context
Pitta pizzas are a modern, fusion interpretation of traditional pizza, drawing inspiration from the Mediterranean flatbread, pitta. They offer a quick and versatile way to enjoy pizza-like flavors, often adapted for weeknight meals or as a fun, customizable dish for families.
