Tomato and Eggplant Pizza

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 425°F.

   Step 2

   Combine the eggplant and garlic in a medium skillet with a small amount of water. Cover and steam until the eggplant is tender but not mushy, about 8 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure there is enough water to keep the bottom of the skillet moist.

   Step 3

   Place the crust on a pan. Arrange the tomatoes on the crust, and sprinkle with the eggplant-garlic mixture. If desired, season with a little salt and a few grindings of pepper. Top with the mozzarella.

   Step 4

   Bake until the cheese is bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 2 to 3 minutes, and cut into 4 or 6 wedges to serve.

2. A note about Servings

   Step 5

   I base my serving sizes for a 12- to 14-inch pizza on the premise that the pizza will not be the only part of the meal. A 12-inch pizza, if nothing else is being served, may be enough for only two eaters, but with a generous salad plus perhaps another side dish, an amply topped pizza should satisfy 3 to 4 fairly hungry people reasonably well. As I mentioned in the introduction, the ingredient amounts are given here as a guideline; layer ingredients as you see fit.

3. Step 6

   By all means, try some of these pizza combinations on personal-size crusts, if you’d like. Explore the possibility of using high-quality pizza crusts from a natural foods source; they are far lower in sodium than national brands and sometimes come in whole grain versions. And go easy on cheese, otherwise the purpose of making your own pizza is partially defeated!

4. nutrition information

   Step 7

   Calories: 290

   Step 8

   Total Fat: 6g

   Step 9

   Protein: 16g

   Step 10

   Carbohydrate: 40g

   Step 11

   Cholesterol: 23mg

   Step 12

   Sodium: 389mg