Pizza Puttanesca

Pasta Puttanesca is one of my favorite pastas. Its salty and savory bites are wonderful, and yet balanced out by a good marinara sauce isn't overwhelmingly salty or unbalanced. I had some leftover pizza dough and decided to satisfy my salty craving with a pizza, using traditional puttanesca ingredients. The results were amazing, and now this is one of my favorite pizzas! Using store-bought pizza, leftover marinara sauce (or your favorite from a jar), and simple fridge-pantry ingredients makes for a tasty and easy and fast dinner. This recipe is for 4 people or 2 for a larger portion.

Pizza Puttanesca
1 container store-bought pizza dough (recommend: Whole Foods or Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup marinara sauce (your own or store-bought)
3 Tbsp pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp capers, drained
1/2 cup sliced buffalo mozzarella (more or less, to your taste), well drained and patted very dry
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 Tbsp fresh chopped fresh basil OR prepared pesto (pictured)
finely grated parmesan cheese for garnish

Special equipment: parchment paper or nonstick spray for pans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray

If making individual sized pizzas (shown above), then cut the dough into 4 equal parts; if making one large pizza then leave it intact. Stretch out the pizza dough with your fingers and hands, careful not to break it or tear it. Place on the baking sheet. Spoon some marinara sauce on the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border of dough unsauced -- this will help the toppings stay on the pizza rather than spill over too much. Top with the olives, capers, cheese, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, the red pepper flakes if using, and then the basil or pesto if using. Bake in oven for 7-15 minutes, depending on your oven's strength. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Let stand 2 minutes before cutting so toppings can stop bubbling and stabilize on the pizza; if you cut it too soon they will all slide off and that will make you very sad. Serve hot!