VEGETARIAN PIZZA WITH WILD MUSHROOMS AND PESTO

Vegetarian Pizza with Wild Mushrooms and Pesto image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Yield Makes two 8-inch pizzas

Number Of Ingredients 19

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/4 small red onion, chopped
1/2 Chinese eggplant, coarsely chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/4 yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup zucchini, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup wild mushrooms, sliced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1/2 recipe Wolfgang Puck's Pizza Dough
Semolina flour, for peel
Homemade Pesto
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
1 large plum tomato, sliced
1/4 cup goat cheese
4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
4 fresh basil leaves

Steps:

Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of an oven, and preheat to 500 degrees.
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and eggplant. Sauté until onions soften slightly, about 1 minute. Add peppers, zucchini, and artichoke hearts. Cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; season generously with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and transfer to a plate to cool.
Lightly dust work surface with flour. Working with one ball of dough at a time, dip the ball into flour, and shake off the excess. Start to stretch and pull the dough out with your fingertips. Press down on the center, spreading the dough into an 8-inch circle with the outer border a little thicker than the inner circle, forming a crust. You may want to use a rolling pin. Be careful not to tear the dough. Transfer to a pizza peel, sprinkled lightly with semolina.
Spread the pesto sauce evenly over the surface of the dough. Generously sprinkle with mozzarella and fontina. Scatter the sautéed vegetables over the cheese, and top with the tomato slices. Finish topping the pizza with the goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.
Using a lightly floured pizza peel, carefully slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone. Bake until the pizza crust is browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a flat surface. Sprinkle with basil leaves. Using a pizza wheel or a large sharp knife, slice and serve.