Ingredients
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds (about 1.25 kg) small-to-medium sized fresh tomatoes, sliced in half
3 clove fresh garlic, peeled and quartered lengthwise or thickly sliced
2 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional oil for the pizza
12 branches of fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces fresh pizza dough
8 ounces (240 g) mozzarella cheese, sliced
One bunch of fresh basil
Parmesan cheese
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- On a non-stick baking sheet that’s large enough to hold the tomatoes in a single layer, toss together the tomatoes with the garlic, olive oil, thyme, bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven for 1 hour, checking midway during roasting to make sure the garlic isn’t burning.
- After one hour, turn off oven and leave tomatoes in the oven until oven cools completely. Roasting time will vary depending on the size of tomatoes; just roast them until they’ve given up their juices, as shown in the picture in the post.
- To make the pizza, preheat the oven to 450ºF (235ºC) and place a heavy baking sheet on rack on the lower third of the oven.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle. Place the dough on a sheet of parchment paper.
- Brush the dough with a thin layer of olive oil. Drain the tomatoes well, then distribute the tomatoes and garlic over the dough. Put the mozzarella slices over the tomatoes, then place a dozen fresh basil leaves on top of the pizza and grate some Parmesan over the top.
- Transfer the pizza to the baking sheet by grabbing the hot baking sheet out of the oven and slide the pizza onto the hot baking sheet.
- Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, until the pizza is baked to your liking; the bottom crust should be crisp and the top should be slightly browned and bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and strew chopped fresh basil over the top along with a generous sprinkling of additional grated Parmesan cheese.
