Lemony Brussels Sprouts Pizza
If you like lemon, Brussels sprouts, caramelized onions, bacon, ricotta and pizza, then this is a dream. It's quick and easy and always a hit. This is one of my own recipes, so the measurements are pretty much guesstimated, but you'll get the idea. If you shred the Brussels Sprouts, caramelize the onions and dice/fry the bacon ahead of time, you can whip this together in no time. Otherwise, there's some prep work. But it's totally worth it.
Ingredients
Pre-made Pizza Crust (I've been liking the Trader Joe's rectangular crusts which come in a pack of two - I freeze them and pull them out when needed)
1 yellow onion, diced and caramelized
1/2 15 oz. container of whole milk ricotta
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
1.5 cups sliced Brussels sprouts - I usually do the slicing myself but you can find shredded ones at TJ's.
1/4 lb. diced bacon or pancetta, precooked and crispy
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Coarse kosher salt, to taste
Pinch red peper flakes, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Caramelize the diced yellow onions by cooking them in a frying pan with a few drizzles of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt over medium-low heat until golden brown (darker = more flavor). Be patient with these - they can take upwards of 20 minutes.
Infuse half the container of ricotta with the zest of one lemon and the juice from half of it (if you like it extra lemony, use more juice). Stir and set aside.
Drizzle the pizza crust with olive oil and bake for 5-7 minutes to get the crust the slightest bit crisp. Take it out of the oven.
Spread the lemon ricotta mixture on top. Followed by the caramelized onions. Then the sliced Brussels sprouts. Then the diced and cooked bacon or pancetta. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Drizzle with EVOO. Add salt and crushed red pepper. Then bake until the pizza crust is golden brown - about 10 minutes (depending on oven and crust size).
Squeeze some additional lemon juice on top, slice and voila!
