Not Your Everyday Pizza

In Tunis, there's a lack of delivery options for dinner. While I would love there to be a Papa Mohammed's on my speed-dial, it just isn't so. There are other pizza options here, namely the very thin crust Margherita, with red sauce and cheese (and sometimes tuna sprinkled on as a helpful condiment). But for times when you want a pizza, you have to invest some time and make your own. There are many mixes for pizza dough on the shelves of the markets here, and you can also make your own from scratch. I have discovered the lazy girl's way of getting a pretty tasty pie on the table. The key is all in the pastry dough.

In Tunisia, you can find phyllo and pastry dough very easily in the refrigerator section of the supermarkets. I buy mine sometimes from the freezer section of the commissary and just keep it in my freezer at home.

Here's what you'll need:

One sheet of pastry dough, thawed

One large onion, sliced

One red bell pepper, sliced

One container of sausage

Soft cheese (chevre works well)

Cook the sausage over medium heat until fully browned. (I use the Bob Evan's mild sausage from the commissary and keep it in the freezer for emergency pork purposes such as these). Drain the fat and set aside. In a saute pan, melt a tblsp of butter, and cook the onions and peppers until they are softened a bit. I actually like to carmelize the onions, which takes a little longer, but produces really sweet tasting onions. Once the onions and peppers are cooked, remove from heat and set aside. Follow the directions for heating the pastry (some brands vary).

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a cookie sheet, unroll the pastry dough, and liberally spread the onions and peppers over top. Then, spoon on the sausage. Next, using a spoon, put dollops of the soft cheese on top of the pizza, trying to gauge where the pastry will be divided into square slices once cut. You want to be sure that each bite gets a little bite of the cheese. After you've assembled the pizza, cook for 20 minutes at 400. When the pastry begins to brown and puff, your pie should be finished and ready for consumption after cooling for about five minutes.

I made this pizza last night and think it's pretty amazing. It's a far distant cousin from the pepperoni slices I grew up eating from Marzella's in downtown Collegeville, PA, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Our friend Nana made a similar pizza using onions and apple slices, and it rocked. You can substitute any of the ingredients to include your favorites. Black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon...Enjoy.