Pizza night often means ordering delivery or takeout, but if you are in the mood for a thin crust and feeling like you don't have a lot of energy, you can still enjoy homemade pizza in about a half hour. Just plan ahead and put a box of frozen phyllo dough on the grocery list!
By layering sheets of phyllo lightly coated with olive oil and cheese, you can create a fantastic foundation for your favorite toppings. A word to the wise - avoid sauces. This crust is pretty fragile and if you want to be able to lift it when eating it, stick with fairly dry toppings that bring a lot of flavor to the party. In addition to those mentioned in the recipe below, you can try thinly sliced sundried tomatoes, caramelized onions, thinly sliced mushrooms (cook them first), very finely crumbled sausage (a little goes a long way), and even very finely sliced fruits like pear or fig.
I like making this and serving it with a green salad and chilled white wine, cider, or beer. It is, after all, still pizza night!
Phyllo Dough Pizza
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 14 sheets phyllo dough
- 7 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 10-14 pepperoni rounds, sliced into strips
- Loose handful of fresh spinach leaves
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 2 oz. crumbled goat cheese
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Coat a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with melted butter or a silicone baking mat (which is what I did).
Carefully unroll the phyllo dough. Line the bottom of the prepared pan with 2 sheets of phyllo dough (sheets will overlap slightly) to cover the pan. Spray the dough lightly with the olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Repeat these layers 5 times. (While you are working, keep the dough covered with a damp tea towel until you're ready to use it to prevent it from drying out.)
Top with the layers of remaining phyllo dough, cooking spray, and Parmesan cheese. Arrange the pepperoni strips, spinach leaves, and red onion slices on top of the phyllo dough crust. Sprinkle the very top with mozzarella and goat cheese.
Bake the pizza until the edges are golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
- Yields: 3-4 large servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes