Terrific pizza sauce alternative

Call me crazy (you wouldn't be the first), but this pizza tasted like mock artichoke dip. It must have been the texture of the leeks with the "sauce", which is a very flavorful low-fat spread that would be delicious with any vegetable toppings for a quick homemade pizza. I can also imagine adding some pine nuts and basil for a pita chip dip. I used fat free ricotta and a store bought whole wheat crust, thus skipping the first step all together.

Leek, Ricotta, and Walnut Pizza













Ingredients
1/2 recipe Pizza Dough
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced leek (about 3 large)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.
Roll dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place the dough on a (12-inch) pizza pan or baking sheet coated with cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp the edges of the dough with fingers to form a rim.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek; saute for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Combine cheeses, salt, pepper, and garlic in a bowl. Spread the cheese mixture over pizza crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with the leek mixture, and sprinkle with walnuts. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut into 8 wedges.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 359; FAT 10.3g; PROTEIN 13.4g; CHOLESTEROL 14mg; CALCIUM 234mg; SODIUM 611mg; FIBER 3.5g

Cooking Light, AUGUST 2001