Tortilla pizza with spicy marinara

Honestly, I haven’t ordered pizza for myself in years because tortillas are always on call. Skip the greasy, cheesy delivery pizza and make your own version with any sort of topping variations.

The key to the perfect pizza is the base! This spicy homemade marinara sauce recipe is easy to make and offers lovely, authentic Italian flavor after a 30-minute simmer. 

 

Ingredient for the pizza (for 4 tortillas):

• 4 small whole wheat tortilla 
• 1  cup tomato sauce (marinara)
• 400g light mozzarella or  < 11% fat  shredded/crumbled cheese 
• oregano
• Toppings (go wild!)

 

*tbsp: tablespoon    tsp: tablespoon     cup: 250ml

 

Topping ideas:

• Green:  Artichokes, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms
• Italian : Prosciutto or Hiromeri, truffle oil, mushrooms
• Greek: olives, light feta cheese and tomato slices

 

Ingredients for the spicy marinara:

• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 1  white onion (finely chopped)
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or finely-minced
• ½  tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 large can whole peeled tomatoes (with juices)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 50ml (3-4 tbsp) red wine  
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp  tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly-cracked black pepper
• 3 large sprigs of fresh basil

 

 

Method for the pizza:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C.
2. If you are using vegetables (bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, mushrooms) for toppings, bake them in the oven for 10 minutes to dehydrate and avoid soaking on the tortilla. 
3. Place the tortilla in an iron pan or baking sheet (max crispiness option: place the tortilla on a stainless steel, oven-safe cooling rack, and place that on the baking sheet).
4. Spread sauce evenly across the tortilla
5. Sprinkle with cheese, toppings & oregano
6. Bake until the cheese is golden and bubbling (no sooner!) and the edges of the tortilla are lightly browned, about 10 to 14 minutes.
7.  Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing.
8. Enjoy!

 

Method for the Marinara:

1. Sauté onion and garlic with olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. 
2.  Add crushed red pepper flakes and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
3.  Add the tomatoes, oregano, salt and black pepper, and stir to combine.  Use a wooden spoon or a potato masher to gently break up the tomatoes as the sauce continues to heat.  
4. Stir in the fresh basil.
5. Simmer.  Continue cooking the sauce until it reaches a simmer.  
6. Add the honey, wine and the balsamic vinegar and reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and continue to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove and discard the fresh basil sprigs.  
8. Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper, as needed. 

 

Dietitians Tip: 

Make double the quantity of the marinara sauce to use as a dip for your pizza instead of ketchup. You can also make it spicier by doubling the amount of crushed red pepper flakes in the marinara sauce.Don’t try to make shortcuts to make it even faster, since no amount of tomato paste, spices or sugar will make up for lost time.

 Bottom line: It’s impossible to achieve enchanting, long-simmered marinara flavor in under 30 minutes. So throw those ingredients in the pot, pour yourself a glass of wine and boil water for pasta. Dinner is almost ready.

 

Nutritional Value per tortilla (without the toppings):

• Energy: 393 kcal
• Total Fat:13 g
• Carbohydrate:33  g
• Protein: 29g

 

Vitamins and Minerals

• Calcium: 53 %
• Phosphorus: 50 %

*Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 kcal diet.

 

 

Eleana Liasidou

Clinical Dietitian -nutritionist, MSc