Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and White Bean Pizza

 

Spinach was my inspiration for this recipe. Every couple of months the nearby market has fresh spinach on sale for $1 a bag and I always try to take advantage of the sale. I might occasionally indulge in curry, such as Go Ducks! Curry but most often I make salads with the spinach using either my homemade balsamic vinaigrette or an Asian-inspired dressing. I wanted to take a different route with this spinach and make a new dish that made use of familiar ingredients.

I have seen or read numerous recipes for a caramelized onion tart that uses a puff pastry crust. I thought I could make that tart even a little more special with some spinach.  I love caramelized onions and I love sauteed spinach so together this would just be even better! My next thought turned to the crust. I thought I could make a more substantial meal with a pizza crust.

A pizza always has some sort of sauce. I began pondering what kind of sauce I could put on my pizza that I now knew would feature spinach and caramelized onions. I was also thinking about adding some sort of protein, which my pizza still lacked so including white beans came to mind. By pureeing the beans I could boost the flavor by adding extra virgin olive oil and lots of garlic. I now had sauce and protein on my pizza!

Sauteed Spinach with Garlic

I found half a can of beans provided enough "sauce" for the whole pizza. Some ideas for those leftover beans are to puree the whole can for some white bean hummus, add the beans to a salad or soup, mix with some sauteed vegetables for pasta, or add to a pot of rice.

The next time I entertain I will by serving this pizza. My Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and White Bean Pizza is one of the more elegant dishes I have made. The pizza can be assesmbled in advance and finished cooking when guests arrive. The aroma from the cooking pizza is enticing. Enjoy!

Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and White Bean Pizza

Pizza crust
Extra virgin olive oil, divided
1-2 onions. cut into thin half-circles
1 10 oz bag of fresh spinach or one brick of frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
5 cloves garlic, grated or minced finely
1/2 can or 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes, to taste, optional

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat on the stove. Add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 25-30 minutes. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
2. To prepare beans, place beans in a food processor. Add garlic and season liberally with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and enough extra virgin olive oil to puree the beans. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Prepare pizza crust, whether homemade or otherwise. Sprinkle a baking sheet or pizza stone with cornmeal if desired or spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Brush crust with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes.
5. To prepare spinach, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan. Add spinach, stirring occasionally, cook until wilted. Season with salt and red pepper flakes.
6. Spread bean mixture over prepared pizza crust. Spread spinach evenly over the crust then spread onions evenly over the spinach layer.
7. Bake until crust is golden brown.

* A tangy cheese like feta or goat cheese would be excellent crumbled over the top of the pizza.