Easy Veg Pizza

Phyllo dough has been living in my freezer for way too long, so after many defrostings and refreezings, it finally made its inaugural appearance. I found a simple recipe for veggie pizza using phyllo dough, so I thought I'd try my hand at it. The recipe I used as a guideline is from Good Housekeeping. (Don't judge me. ;)) Instead of pizza, tomatoes, red onion, mozzarella, and parmesan, I topped it with black beans, black olives, tuna, artichoke hearts, and parmesan. I also didn't cut it into rectangles, choosing instead to kept the full sheet intact.

Phyllo dough coated with olive oil

First you have to prepare the phyllo dough by stacking layers of it and oiling the layers in between. Most of the time, people use butter, but I picked the healthier olive oil. (Don't get me wrong. Mama loves her butter, but it's generally reserved for topping popcorn.) You need to bake the shell for about five minutes before adding the toppings, and I cooked the entire pizza for longer than the allotted 3-4 minutes.



The only drawback to these topping is that they tend to dry out rather rapidly, but otherwise, I was pleased with the result.

Easy Veggie Pizza

Ingredients

• 8   (14- by 9-inch) sheets phyllo dough, thawed
• 4  cup(s) baby spinach
• 2  cup(s) halved cherry tomatoes
• 1  cup(s) sliced mushrooms
• 1/2  small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 2  tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 1/2  teaspoon(s) salt
• 1  cup(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese, for topping (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Stack 2 sheets phyllo dough on cutting board. Spray with olive oil cooking spray. Top with 2 more sheets phyllo; spray again. Cut to make 2 (9- by 7-inch) rectangles. Repeat with 4 more sheets phyllo. Transfer to parchment-lined large cookie sheets and bake 5 minutes or until crisp.
3. Meanwhile, toss baby spinach, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, red onion, olive oil, and salt in large bowl.
4. Divide mozzarella cheese and vegetable mixture among crusts. Bake 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese melts. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese, if desired.