It probably goes without saying that this isn’t your ordinary pizza. There’s the usual soft and chewy crust and bubbling fresh mozzarella, but that’s where the familiarity ends. You might even be used to caramelized onions by now (I love them and use them often). But how about the salty prosciutto, delicate slices of pear, and chopped toasted walnuts? Not to mention the crumbly pungent Gorgonzola. It’s a careful balance of sweet and savory, crunchy and gooey. And as strange as it all sounds, it makes for a marvelous pizza.

I’m particularly proud of the fact that I used Gorgonzola and liked it very much! I hope this means I’m beginning to outgrow my blue cheese aversion. Gorgonzola is an Italian blue cheese and I find it to be slightly milder than other types. Did you know that its characteristic blue veins are created by injecting mold spores of penicillin bacteria into the aging cheese? (Sounds pretty gross, right?) It definitely has a distinctive flavor. But interspersed with all of these other amazing ingredients the bitterness adds a pleasant contrast. So even if blue cheese makes you nervous (like me), I’m confident you’ll be surprised by how much you like this pizza!

Pear and Prosciutto Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe pizza dough
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Bartlett pear, thinly sliced
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/4 lb. (4 oz.) prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella, grated
1/2 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare pizza dough according to recipe directions.

2. To caramelize the onions, preheat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and stir to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Reduce the heat as you are cooking if they are beginning to burn.

3. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 F. Form pizza crust and lightly brush with olive oil. Top with caramelized onions, sliced pear, prosciutto, mozzarella, and Gorgonzola. Sprinkle with walnuts.

4. Place on pizza stone and bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is puffed and golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let rest a minute before slicing.

Makes 1 large pizza.

(Adapted from All Recipes)