HUNGER PAINS

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For me, cracking the fridge open at exactly noon means I need something in my tummy and QUICK. In pure desperation, I pull leftover dough, mustard greens and Parmesan cheese out of the fridge. Because of my passion for combining Italian and Southern influences, my mind automatically wheels in the direction of creating a pizza with Southern flair. So with pangs in my stomach, I swiftly roll out the dough and slather it with marinara. While the pizza is baking, I quickly, quickly, sauté mustard greens with red pepper flakes, garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice. Once the pizza is golden and crispy, I pile the greens onto the baked pie and shave Parmesan cheese on top, and the result is unexpected perfection. Buon appetito, ya’ll.

Serves 1 Hungry Soul:

For the Mustard Green Topping:

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 pinch of red pepper flakes

½ bunch of mustard greens, triple washed and dried

Juice of 1 lemon wedge

Salt and pepper to taste

Pull the leafy greens off the tough stalks of the mustard greens. Discard of the stalks and set greens aside.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Once the garlic beings to shimmer and shake in the pan, add the greens and juice from lemon. Quickly toss all of the ingredients together and sauté for 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the Pizza:

1 portion of Basic Pizza Dough

2 tablespoons of favorite homemade or jarred marinara

Mustard green topping (see recipe above)

Parmesan cheese shavings, to taste

Preheat oven with pizza stone to 500 degrees

On a sheet of foil dusted with flour, place pizza dough in the middle and gently roll the pizza dough into a circle until thin (you can also pick up the dough and gently stretch the dough with your hands.) Spoon 2 tablespoons of marinara over the dough and spread close to the edges.

Place in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Transfer the pizza to a plate and scatter with prepared mustard greens and a healthy scattering of Parmesan cheese shavings. Enjoy!