My Recipes: Tortilla Pizza with Ricotta and Balsamic Onion

Sometimes, when I'm only cooking for myself, I make the easiest possible meal. And by "make" I mean toast some bread, smear avocado over a slice, and dust it with salt and pepper. Cooking for one isn't nearly as enjoyable as cooking for, well, any number above one, because you don't get to share your creation (whether it's tasty or merely in the, ahem, experimental stage) but I'm hoping to change that view. Perhaps cooking for one can be fun. And hey, it can definitely still be easy. 

And so tonight, when given the news it would be me and me alone for dinner, I decided to make a staple favourite—with a twist.

I stumbled across a strange idea for thin crust pizza the other day while searching for ways to make dough: flour tortillas. Yes, that's right, the Mexican concoction of flour and lard. Although you will find that prepackaged tortillas from the shop are made minus the lard (less fatty) and plus sugar and preservatives (not so great.) I decided to test this unusual pizza base. It's not the healthiest choice (I usually use wholemeal pita bread) but I do love me some tortillas. Still, as much as I love Mexican cuisine, with this recipe, its influence stops at the tortilla.

When using a tortilla as your base it's best to keep its ultra-thinness in mind; you don't want to overload it with ingredients or it will come out soggy (yuck) and too heavy for the base. The tortilla is thin so spread your toppings thin. I probably use a little more sauce than I should because I like my pizzas on the saucy side, so it's probably best to think of this as more of a guide than a recipe. Just add the toppings to taste. I use grapeseed oil to saute the onions because it's a healthier alternative to other oils. It's high in antioxidants and has a pretty neutral taste.

Before assembling your perfect-for-one pizza, put a baking stone on the rack and preheat your oven to 175°C or 345°F. 

1 flour tortilla 

1 cremini mushroom, more or less, thinly sliced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (not pictured)

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons grapeseed oil

1/2 cup mozzarella (I added some grana padano in there too)

1/4 cup ricotta (love!)

1 tablespoon pizza sauce (be sure to use a good sauce because it's going to season the whole pizza)

1. Heat the grapeseed oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start softening. Add the balsamic and cook for a couple more minutes, until the onions are translucent. Remove from the heat.

2. Rip off a piece of baking paper and place the tortilla on top. Brush the tortilla with the extra virgin olive oil. If you don't have a brush just use a spoon or a mini silicone spatula. Neither will spread the oil as evenly but they'll do the job. Spread the sauce on top.

3. Sprinkle on the mozzarella and small globs of the ricotta. Add the mushrooms and onions to taste, but remember to keep it light. Here you can sprinkle on a pinch of salt and pepper. I didn't and it tasted great (the pizza sauce spiced it up enough for me) but you may feel strange leaving it off. 

4. Place the tortilla with the baking paper on the baking stone and bake for 5-8 minutes—until crisp and bubbly.

I was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed this pizza. Unlike traditional bases, tortillas are super light, making them airy and less filling (in a good way.) The flavours really shine through. For me, it's going to be a great meal to make in a pinch. (Oh, and do try to pair this with a bowl of salad. Dinner isn't complete without some green!)