Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Naan Pizza with Shrimp & Sauteed Shallots

If I've learned one thing since I started this blog last August, it's that you never know when kitchen inspiration will strike. For instance, I was taking my pre-grocery day kitchen inventory last weekend. I found a half-package of naan bread in the freezer, leftover from my Stonehouse 27 tasting last week. I loved the flavor of the naan, so I wanted to do something with it for dinner that night...but what? Then it clicked: the naan would make a PERFECT base for individual pizzas. It was even shaped like a large slice of pizza!! 

I also knew that I wanted to do something other than our usual pepperoni-sausage combo that we always order out. That’s all my crazy foodie brain needed to take the ball and run with it. I asked myself what I wanted on this pizza...for some reason, shrimp immediately popped into my head. I went with it and let my imagination take over as I wandered around Central Market trying to decide what else would taste good on my naan pizzas. What I came up with was a delicious pizza that’s so simple to make that you can even whip it up on the busiest of evenings. 

How does this sound: a simple homemade pizza sauce, quatro formaggi cheese blend, sautéed shallots, shrimp, fresh basil, and diced roma tomato? Do I have your attention now? Not only is this pizza totally delicious, I promise you’ll have it on the table in less time than it takes to dial up the local pizza joint and have a pie delivered. From start to finish, this pizza takes only 30-45 minutes to cook...and that includes 10-15 minutes to make your own simple sauce! 

Naan Pizza with Shrimp & Sauteed Shallots
a Weekend Gourmet Original Recipe

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 375, and line a large baking sheet with parchment. Make the sauce as follows. Heat 1 tbs. olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add two cloves finely minced or grated garlic and sautee for about 2 minutes. Add 3 chopped basil leaves and a can of crushed tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer on med-low heat for about 15 minutes to let the flavors concentrate and some of the liquid evaporate. Add 1/3 cup half and half to the sauce at the very end and stir well.


Step 2:  While the sauce is simmering, sautee the shallots. Add 1 tbs. olive oil to a small pan over med-high heat. Add 1 large sliced shallot, and a bit of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are just starting to turn golden...about 10 minutes. While the shallots are cooking, seed and dice a large roma tomato and chop 3-4 more basil leaves. Place them in small bowl, salt and pepper to taste, and set aside until it's time to assemble the pizzas.


Step 3:  To assemble the pizzas, place four pieces of naan on the prepared baking sheet. Top each piece of naan with 1/4 of the sauce and a generous handful of quatro formaggi cheese blend (mozzarella, provolone, asiago, and parmesan). Then add a handful of the tomato-basil mixture, some of the sauteed shallots, and five medium shrimp. Sprinkle with seasoning of your choice. I opted to use a smoked citrus salt blend, but use whatever you have on hand.


Step 4:  Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the shrimp are cooked through. Let the pizza sit for about 5 minutes before serving. That's just enough time to whip up a quick salad and pour some drinks.


I paired these personal-size pizzas with my signature salad: field greens, sliced strawberries, super-creamy sheep feta, candied pecans, and raspberry-walnut vinaigrette. The combination of flavors on this pizza was really nice: the basil and roma tomatoes provided a nice freshness, the seasoned shrimp were plump and sweet, and the homemade sauce provided a nice basil-garlic punch. And the naan? It was pretty much a perfect pizza crust: crunchy, evenly browned on bottom, and just the right thickness for me: not too thin, not too thick. If you’re not a seafood lover, simply sub in some diced chicken breast or use a bit of prosciutto instead. Both would work great.

Before I sign off for today, I want to share some exciting news with y'all. I recently submitted my favorite impromptu party planning tip as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program's Electrolux "Are You Party-Ready?" campaign. I found out last week that my idea was selected as one of the 16 best tips. For being chosen, Foodbuzz is giving me $250 to throw a humdinger of a summer party at Casa Garcia next Saturday!!! We're having two of our closest friends and their little girl over for a casual, upscale dinner party. The menu is still in the planning stages...but I promise to share my party planning tips, recipes, and decor ideas for this party in a couple of weeks. I can't wait...

14 comments:

  1. Naan bread is so fantastic for lots of reasons. It freezes well. It makes great garlic toast when you are in a pinch. It can be toasted. Your pizzas look great too! Shrimp was a good idea :)

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  2. Love that you use Naan for the pizza crust! Check out my site for a super easy Naan recipe :)

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  3. Scanning my Foodbuzz inbox (which is WAY overloaded!) the title of this post jumped off the page. I've not had dinner yet and goodness what I would do for one of these! Love it Wendy, well done!

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  4. Love the idea of naan pizza - what a brilliant idea. I often use lavash bread for a thin crust pizza. I bet this was amazing!!

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  5. Way to use up all the stuff in the freezer. Can't wait to hear about your party.
    -Gina-

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  6. Congrats on your winning Foodbuzz tip...wonderful!!! And this pizza looks fabulous...what a great idea for crust :)

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  7. Yes, the naan makes a perfect pizza crust! I'm going to make this with prosciutto or pancetta next time...that should go really well with the sauteed shallots!

    And thanks for the congrats on my Foodbuzz party. I'm so excited to plan it and share all the details later in the month...

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  8. Congratulations! I'm so happy for you! I'm sure you will plan something amazing :) I'm looking forward to seeing it. Your naan pizza idea is a great idea! It sure looks tasty!

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  9. This inspiration sure is a winner!

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  10. Congrats on your taste maker tip prize cannot wait to see that post..
    This pizza looks great. Using Naan as the base there are so many possibilities

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  11. Oh my goodness Wendy! You have hit this one out of the park! This is just amazing. Look at all of those pretty colors! I seriously don't know that I've ever seen a prettier pizza.

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  12. Yay, Wendy! You are a winner. I am sure your humdinger will be fantastic, and I am sure your pizza is healthier than a meat combo. You might have to add that to your Lenten rotation.
    --erin

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  13. I DEEPLY love pizza. This sounds amazing! Thanks for linking to Recipes to Run On!

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