THINKING SKINNY™

You will need a 12-inch Teflon frying pan. Make marinara sauce ahead (or use your favorite canned sauce). Have all ingredients chopped or sliced, pre-cooked and ready to go. If you plan to add vegetables like green pepper, broccoli or onion they should be sautéed in advance to al dente.

Stove temp: medium low (on my electric stove that means turning the dial to the #3 mark). Place pan on burner, set temperature and let warm. When your pan is hot, spray a little olive oil or non-stick spray on one side of a tortilla and place in the pan to cook until golden and lightly crisp (roughly 2-3 minutes). Then remove from pan, flip the tortilla, and spray more oil on the opposite side of the tortilla and return it to the skillet to lightly brown and crisp the other side as you immediately begin building your pizza. Spread sauce over the surface of the tortilla. Add mozzarella cheese, cooked ground beef or veggies, and mushrooms. Cover with a lid and cook approximately another 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and the bottom is toasted and golden. If your crust is getting too dark, too fast, lift the pan from the burner, adjust the temperature down and resume cooking. When finished, slide your pizza out of the pan onto a cutting surface and cut into 8 skinny wedges, sprinkle with hot peppers (optional) and serve immediately. This pizza is wonderfully crispy and holds its shape—doesn’t droop or hang, making it perfect to use with a warm marinara dipping sauce. Recipe below makes enough sauce for two 10-inch pizzas (or one pizza with dipping sauce).

One pizza equals 4 servings. Serving size, 2 slices, 33 calories per slice. If you eat the whole thing yourself (don’t), you are still at only 524 calories compared to 1100+ in an average 10-inch commercial pizza.

MARINARA PIZZA & DIPPING SAUCE

1 15-oz. can tomato puree
1/4 cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
Salt, pepper
Italian seasoning to taste
Red pepper flakes (optional)

In a saucepan, bring tomato puree and water to a simmer. Add garlic, shake in Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, all to your own taste. Simmer about 20 minutes on low heat. Use as a pizza sauce, Optional: serve extra sauce on the side and dip you crispy pizza slices. 40 calories per 1/2 cup serving.

Nadia Giordana