Eggs Baked in Creamy Pasta Nests

Here's a delicious meal that you can whip up in less than 45 minutes and you may even have most of the ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry!  It was inspired by Put an Egg On It, by Lara Ferroni, a book that I found by chance while shopping recently.  The photo of this egg dish on the cover had me drooling!

Are you as happy as I am that eggs are no longer shunned as a food that was unhealthy and should be avoided?  Actually, they are quite fashionable now so you need to get on trend! Hopefully, they aren't so 'last year' yet :)

My version of the recipe (you can find the original recipe here), starts with cooked capellini pasta, which is mixed together with some cream (feel free to substitute fat-free or light cream), grated Sartori Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley and salt and pepper to taste. This will form the 'nest'. 

Getting that perfectly cooked, soft and slightly runny egg was the hardest part and it took a couple of attempts to get it right.  All ovens are different so times may vary for you. The best test is to lightly touch the top of the egg with your finger when you see the egg white has turned white. If the yolk still feels slightly 'jiggly' inside then it's done.  Remember, it will keep cooking after you remove it from the oven.  If your eggs turn out too well done, you can always whip up a little extra cream sauce and drizzle it over the top as a dressing.

I decided that I needed a salad to make the meal complete, so I lined the plate with a spinach and arugula blend of organic greens before topping it with the pasta/egg nest.  This was so good that my husband ate all of the 'tests' and asked for me to make it for dinner the next night too. 

A truly delicious meal for brunch, lunch or dinner!

Eggs Baked in Creamy Pasta Nests

Serves 2

Printable Recipe Makes 4 using 1 cup-sized ramekins (You could also use a 1 quart pyrex dish and make evenly-spaced wells for all four eggs.) Butter for greasing ramekins 1/2 pound (1/2 box) of capellini pasta or regular spaghetti 4 large eggs 4 cups of fresh arugula, or greens of your choice For the cream sauce: 1/2 cup heavy cream (half and half or light cream can be substituted) 1-1/2 cups freshly grated Sartori Parmesan cheese 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and lightly butter ramekins and place them on a baking sheet. In a large bowl, mix together the cream, 1/2 cup of grated cheese, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente and drain, reserving a small ladle-full of the pasta cooking water. Place the cooked pasta into the cream mixture and swirl with tongs to coat well. Add a little of the pasta water, if necessary. Let the pasta remain in the sauce for a few minutes. Remove about one-fourth of the pasta and and place it in one of the ramekins, swirling as you lay it down. With the tongs, or your fingers, spread the pasta to the outside leaving an indentation in the middle for the egg. Repeat filling the rest of the ramekins. If you still have some cream in the bowl, pour it over each of the pasta nests, otherwise, add a teaspoon or so of cream to the top off each nest. Bake the nests until the tops are golden and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and carefully, crack an egg into a small cup, and then pour into the center of each nest. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake the eggs for 5 minutes, or until the whites have set. (Alternately, you may put the egg into the nest before baking the nest which will result in a softer, creamier pasta. Bake for about 15 minutes at 400F.) Let the nests cool for 5 minutes to firm up, then run a knife around the outside of the ramekin and gently remove it. Place on a bed of greens for serving. Garnish with another grind or two of fresh pepper and serve. Delicious! Inspired by this recipe.

Eggplant Parmigiana of Mamma Agata

Eggplant is one of those vegetables that I didn't eat growing up nor did my husband.  Fried eggplant marinara or eggplant parmigiana are dishes I have ordered when dining out but I've had both good and bad experiences, therefore eggplant has never become a favorite. That has forever changed with this delicious recipe!

In September, I was the very lucky winner of a cookbook called Mamma Agata: Traditional Italian Recipes of a Family That Cooks with Love and Passion in a Simple and Genuine Way from At Home with Vicki Bensinger.  Vicki teaches culinary classes and had learned about Mamma Agata's cooking school in Italy when she traveled there a few years ago.  A relationship was struck over the internet between Vicki and Mamma Agata's English-speaking daughter, Chiara, who also works in the cooking school. She graciously offered Vicki a copy of  cookbook for one of Vicki's readers. Thank you, Vicki and thank you, Chiara and Mamma Agata! 

Mamma Agata has cooked for many celebrities over the years, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Anita Eckberg, Pierce Brosnan and many others.. Now she has her own culinary school on the Amalfi Coast in the town of Ravello overlooking the sea.  It would be a dream come true to visit Mamma Agata's cooking school!

The cookbook was shipped from Italy and was signed especially for me. I am thrilled with it! The pages are filled with gorgeous photos of her home and gardens, family, the surrounding beautiful area and many interesting stories about her life. 

The wonderful thing about this eggplant parmigiana is that it tastes even better the second day so you can prepare it and bake it the day before and gently reheat it in the oven. It is time-consuming to make so you'll be happy you did it a day ahead.  Make it on the weekend to enjoy for a relaxed Sunday dinner or a weeknight meal.. It was simple, genuine and absolutely delicious! 

Since this cookbook is over 15 years old, new copies are expensive.  However, you can scroll on the right side of the Amazon page and  Shop for Used Copies of Mama Agata's Cook Book HERE (Affiliate Link). 

Parmigiana di Melanzane (Eggplant Parmigiana) 

Printable Recipe
Serves 4

My Notes: 

The recipe may seem daunting at first but just take it one step at a time.  It is well worth the effort!

I only used half the amount of Peanut oil to fry the eggplant slices. I used a large cast iron skillet. The smoked cheese (I used gouda) imparts a wonderful, earthy flavor to this dish - do not eliminate.  Since I could not find Japanese eggplants, I used baby eggplants. I did not make Mamma's fresh tomato sauce below as it is no longer fresh tomato season here. I used a good-quality bottled marinara sauce. There is a product called Wondra which I used for coating the eggplants. It is a very fine flour, hopefully similar to the 00 Italian flour which I could not find.  I used regular mozzarella as I didn't read the recipe carefully enough when I made my shopping list!  If you do use mozzarella in water you have to plan another day ahead to remove the moisture as stated in the recipe.

Ingredients:

8 eggplants (long, thin and firm, such as Japanese eggplants)
Sea salt
1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups Parmigiano/Parmesan cheese (grated)
1/2 lb smoked Provolone cheese (or any similar smoked cheese such as Gouda)
1 3/4 oz 00 farina flour (or white pastry flour) to coat the eggplant
20 basil leaves
1 quart peanut or vegetable oil for frying (NOTE: Do not use olive oil)
1 cup of Mamma Agata’s Tomato Sauce (recipe below), or any tomato sauce you like

Mamma Agata’s Secrets:

The type of eggplant that Mamma Agata uses is very important in this recipe. The eggplant needs to be long, thin and firm; Japanese eggplants work well. Ultimately, the shape, firmness and (low) water content is critical to the success of a good Eggplant Parmigiana. Less water in the eggplant means more flavor in your dish and not soggy eggplant Parmigiana!

Buy fresh mozzarella cheese (in water). Two days before making your eggplant Parmigiana, remove the cheese from the water and place in a covered bowl in the refrigerator to dry out. Otherwise, all of the water contained in the mozzarella will leak into your eggplant and you will have a soggy eggplant Parmigiana.

Preparation of the eggplant:

Wash the eggplant and remove the top and end of each eggplant. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin of the eggplant lengthwise (i.e. along the length of the eggplant) in stripes, like a zebra, keeping some of the skin on the eggplant to preserve the essential vitamins and flavor of the eggplant.

Once the eggplant is peeled, slice it lengthwise into long pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Do not slice too thin, as it will reduce in size during cooking.

Layer the eggplant slices around the edge of a colander/strainer; sprinkle each slice of eggplant with a pinch of sea salt. Allow the salted eggplant to sit for thirty minutes, to assist in draining out excess water and removing the bitter taste from the eggplant.

After thirty minutes, gently squeeze out excess water from the eggplant slices, 3-4 slices of eggplant at a time, starting from the top of the slices to the bottom. Do not rinse off the salt, as eggplants are like sponges and will absorb the water.

Place the flour on a plate. Dip each slice of eggplant into the flour to cover on both sides. Work quickly, as you do not want the eggplant to absorb too much flour or they will become too soggy to fry.

Frying the eggplant:

Using a deep frying pan, pour in at least a quart of oil, leaving one inch from the top. Do not overfill the frying pan with ingredients. The oil should be very hot, at least 374 degrees Fahrenheit.

Test to see if the oil is hot enough by placing a small potion of the ingredients in the oil. They should float to the top and start to bubble. Seed oils are the best for frying because they have a high burning point. Peanut and vegetable oils are great.

Fry the eggplant slices until they are golden brown. Remove them from the oil and place them onto a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

Preparing the eggplant Parmigiana:

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Gather the ingredients, including the tomato sauce, mozzarella and provolone cheeses, grated Parmigiano cheese, and slices of eggplant.

Now, begin to layer your eggplant Parmigiana in a baking dish as follows:

Tomato sauce (use SPARINGLY – too much will make it soggy)
Eggplant, almost two layers in one
Parmigiano cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Smoked provolone or Gouda cheese
Fresh basil leaves

Repeat this process twice, creating three layers in total. The top layer may be higher than the baking dish when it is ready for the oven.

NOTE: The third layer is the top layer and should only include Mamma Agata’s Tomato Sauce and Parmigiano cheese, without mozzarella and provolone cheese. Also, place a cookie sheet or aluminum foil on the rack below your baking dish, as this dish tends to leak out or spill over when baking.

Bake the eggplant Parmigiana in the pre-heated oven for about one hour. After one hour, turn off the heat in the oven, leaving the dish in there for an additional ten minutes with the oven door slightly open. Then, remove the Eggplant from the oven and let it sit at room temperature for at least 40 minutes before serving.

 

Mamma Agata’s Tomato Sauce (or use you favorite marinara sauce in a jar)

Ingredients:

1 quart of vine-ripened Roma tomatoes (pureed)
10 fresh cherry tomatoes
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic
3 fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Add the olive oil, garlic and basil to a large saucepan. NOTE: Do this at the same time and do NOT heat the oil first.

Heat the ingredients over a high flame to release the natural oils contained in the fresh garlic, enhancing the flavors of the tomato sauce. Be careful not to allowe the garlic to burn or smoke. The garlic and oil should be on high flame for one to two minutes.

When the temperature of the oil begins to rise, add the tomato puree and fresh vine-ripened cherry tomatoes to the pan.

Cook the sauce, first over a high flame just until the sauce begins to boil. Then, lower the flame to simmer the sauce for a total of thirty minutes (including the time it took to bring it to a boil.)

Garbanzo Burgers

A week ago, I was lucky enough to win a copy of the cookbook, Super Natural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson from Barbara at Moveable Feasts. Thank you, Barbara! You may know Heidi Swanson from her culinary website 101 Cookbooks or Mighty Foods. She's a wonderful photography and graphic designer and great cook.

Super Natural Cooking is filled with recipes on how to add more healthy, natural ingredients to our diet. When I first leafed through the book, I was surprised to see so many recipes that sounded not only healthy but flavorful as well, including recipes for desserts. This recipe for Garbanzo Burgers was the first to grab my attention with its ingredients and creativity. 

Rather than making a pattie using beans to use as the 'burger', the pattie becomes the 'bun'! What a great idea.

A delicious mixture of garbanzo beans, egg, sprouts,, onion, parsley, and whole wheat bread crumbs form the patty which then becomes the bun for more healthy filling ingredients. The original recipe calls for chopped cilantro, which I'm not a huge fan of, so I substituted parsley.  I also decided to add a healthy splash of Tabasco for 'kick'. 

I am growing my own arugula sprouts right now and it's such a fun and easy way to add sprouts to salads or sandwiches like this.

The mixture is then formed into patties and fried in olive oil until golden on both sides.  The patties are carefully sliced in half and then your imagination is the limit for the filling.  I chose avocado, tomato, chives, more arugula sprouts, and sliced radishes.

I think these would be a wonderful served with a salad or roasted vegetables also.

It was such a flavorful and delicious 'burger' and a wonderful lunch or meatless meal.

I'm looking forward to trying more recipes from Super Natural Cooking after this very tasty, first experience.

Garbanzo Burgers
Adapted from Super Natural Cooking
Printable Recipe

Note - This recipe is halved from the original and yielded 5 medium Garbanzo Burgers

For the garbanzo burgers:

1 can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (about 1-1/3 cups)
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Several dashes of Tabasco
1/2 cup sprouts, such as arugula, alfalfa, broccoli,
1/2 cup toasted whole-grain bread crumbs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil for frying

Filling ideas:

Additional sprouts
Avocado slices
Tomato slices
Chives or sliced onion
Radish slices
Another dash or two of Tabasco or your favorite salsa.

Combine the drained garbanzo beans, eggs, and salt in a food processor and puree until mixture is the consistency of thick, chunky hummus. Pour into a mixing bowl and add the parsley, onion, lemon zest and Tabasco. Add the bread crumbs and stir until blended. Allow to rest for a couple of minutes while the pan is heating so the crumbs absorb some of the moisture. You should be able to easily form the mixture into patties after this time.

Preheat a large frying pan (I used a large cast iron skillet) with the olive oil over medium low heat. Add as many patties as you can without crowding. Cover the pan and cook them for 5-10 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. If necessary, turn up the heat slightly if they are not browning. Flip the patties over and cook for another 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the patties from the skillet and cool on a wire rack and cook any remaining patties.

Carefully cut each patty in half with a long, serrated knife. Add your favorite fillings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marvelous Mushroom Lasagna

In my immediate family, we celebrate three birthdays in a little over the same number of weeks in early spring. Last weekend, we opted to celebrate all three at once due to busy schedules. The celebration dinner was held here.

I wanted to make something special but still enjoy my family's company that evening, so, for one of the dishes I prepared, I chose to make this spectacular mushroom lasagna which can be prepared in its entirety the day before.

I don't know about your family, but my family loves mushrooms! This lasagna dish is a little time-consuming to make but the effort is well worth it. I highly recommend utilizing the do-ahead portions of the recipe.

A savory medley of sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, onion, garlic and thyme is mixed with a creamy, Parmesan-infused roux using no-boil lasagna sheets which helps cut down on preparation time.

Elegant and delicious!

Marvelous Mushroom Lasagna

Adapted from Wild Mushroom Lasagne, Gourmet, 1999
Printable Recipe

Serves 6.

For mushroom filling:
3 cups water
2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 cup) (I only used 1.5 ounces)
2 pounds fresh white mushrooms (I used a combination of white, baby portabella and shiitaki mushrooms - feel free to use your favorites)
2-3 zucchini (about 1 pound)
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons Sherry
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For sauce:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups whole milk
4 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Eighteen 7- by 3 1/2-inch sheets dry, no-boil lasagne (about 1 pound)
1/2 pound freshly grated mozzarella (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (about 1/2 cup)

My Notes: When sauteing the mushrooms, zucchini and onions, I used a combination of half butter and half olive oil to cut down on fat.


To make filling:

In a small saucepan bring water to a boil and remove pan from heat. Stir in porcini. Soak porcini 20 minutes. Lift out porcini, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve soaking liquid.

In a sieve rinse porcini to remove any grit and pat dry. Chop porcini and transfer to a large bowl. Simmer reserved soaking liquid until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Pour liquid through a sieve lined with a dampened paper towel into bowl with porcini.

Quarter white mushrooms and in a food processor pulse in 3 batches until finely chopped.

Cut zucchini into 1/4-inch dice. Chop onion and mince garlic. In a 12-inch heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and cook one third white mushrooms with 2 tablespoons Sherry, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and they begin to brown. Add mushroom mixture to porcini. Cook remaining mushrooms in 2 batches in butter with remaining Sherry in same manner and add to porcini mixture. In skillet cook zucchini in 1 tablespoon butter until tender and stir into porcini mixture. In skillet cook onion in remaining tablespoon butter, stirring, until softened. Stir in garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir onion into mushroom mixture until combined. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.


To make sauce:

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour.

Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes and whisk in milk. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan, mustard, and salt. Remove pan from heat and cover surface of sauce with wax paper. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring sauce to room temperature before proceeding.

Preheat oven to 375°F and butter a 13 x 9-inch (3-quart) baking dish.

Assemble lasagna:

Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce in baking dish and cover with 3 pasta sheets, making sure they don't touch each other.

Spread one third filling over pasta sheets in dish and top with 3 more pasta sheets, gently pressing down layers to remove air pockets. Top pasta sheets with one third mozzarella. Continue layering in same manner with sauce, pasta sheets, filling, and mozzarella, ending with mozzarella (dish will be filled to rim). Spread remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with Parmesan. On a foil-lined large baking sheet bake lasagna in middle of oven until bubbling and golden, about 45 minutes. Let lasagna stand 20 minutes. Lasagna may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring lasagna to room temperature and reheat before serving.

Black Bean Chili in Squash Bowls

Here is a fun serving idea that is perfect for the fall season! If you like chili and squash, this is delicious recipe. I was especially happy with the flavor of the black beans and the savory seasonings. It was delicious and the bowl is edible!

I was able to find Sweet Dumpling squash at my local grocer and you could likely find them at your farmers' market as well. Otherwise, I'm sure any small squash would work.

I had never made Sweet Dumpling squash before and the taste and texture reminded me very much of Acorn squash. Scooping out bits of squash made the chili even tastier!

We did have a light frost this past week and most of the tender annuals are gone but I still have a few blooms hanging on. I'm sharing this mosaic and recipe at Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper and Mosaic Monday at Little Red House.

Black Bean Chili in Squash Bowls
Recipe adapted from The Philadelphia Inquirer
Printable Recipe

Makes 4 servings

4 small sweet dumpling or other small winter squash
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon dried coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1-1/2 cups cooked black beans (I used one can, rinsed well)
1 teaspoon Chipotle chili in Adobo, canned or dried
1/2 stalk celery, minced
1/2 roasted red pepper, skinned, seeded, and minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
3 plum tomatoes, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
3 leaves fresh basil, minced

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Pierce each squash with a knife and place on an oiled baking sheet. Cook for about 20 minutes or until just a bit softened. Remove from oven and let cool until not too hot to handle. Cut off the top (stem end) of each squash and reserve. Scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh very carefully - taking extra care not to cut into the bottom of the squash. You can save seeds for roasting, if desired. Season the flesh of each squash with a bit of salt and pepper. Return the squash, cut side down, to baking sheet and continue to cook until it softens and the edges are browned. They must be cooked through, but should still retain their shape and structure.

2. Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in the bottom of a large sauté pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until the onion is softened and browning. Add the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds and cook a few minutes more to toast the spices slightly. Add the beans, chipotle, celery, thyme, and tomatoes and simmer for ½ hour to 45 minutes, adding as much water or stock as needed to keep from sticking. Stir often. Beans can be more or less soupy, as desired. Season well with salt and fresh pepper. Stir in basil before serving.

3. To serve, cut just a thin slice off the bottom of each squash to allow it to sit on the plate securely. Place squash on platter or individual plates. Fill with warm beans. Set the lid askew or alongside as garnish if desired. Top with chopped avocado.

Baked Zucchini 'Fritter' Pie

Here is a great recipe for zucchini if you have a picky husband, like mine, who needs it disguised with other ingredients. He loves it when I make zucchini fritters which has all of the ingredients listed above.  Last week, I found a recipe for zucchini pie in the August issue of Real Simple magazine. The ingredients sounded almost exactly like those in zucchini fritters but without all of the work of making patties and frying.  Instead, it's baked in a pie plate but the delicious fritter flavor is all there. 

I added more herbs than the original recipe called for and also changed the cheeses added. I was extremely happy with the result and even more happy to find a recipe that will allow me to use my every-growing zucchini crop!  This was our Meatless Monday meal last night.

Here's a great tip for you...use a potato ricer to squeeze out the excess moisture in zucchini.  It works beautifully! You can find the one I use by clicking here.

Baked Zucchini Pie
Inspired by this recipe from Real Simple

Printable Recipe

3 cups grated zucchini, excess moisture squeezed out with a potato ricer.
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated provolone cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (reserve 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 10 inch round glass pie plate lightly with cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients except for 1 tablespoon of the reserved Parmesan cheese and blend gently. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pie plate.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the reserved Parmesan. Cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Provonetta Pizza

One of the highlights of our gourmet group dinner that we hosted last Sunday was this simple and tasty recipe for this Provonetta Pizza which was served as an appetizer.

I wanted to assign a fairly easy appetizer to one of the couples in our group as they are in the process of trying to change homes and are living in an apartment temporarily with a small kitchen so many of their kitchen supplies and equipment are in storage.

I found the recipe on the Eat Wisconsin Cheese website and it's delicious.  It calls for store-bought pizza dough (which tasted amazingly good!)...My friend chose the most common kind, Pillsbury. I'm certain a home made crust would make this even more exceptional.

Fresh tomatoes and basil made this similar to a Pizza Margherita but with different cheese and the addition of the toasted pine nuts gave each bite a wonderful crunch.  The freshly ground pepper also gave the flavors a nice boost. 

Everyone loved this recipe and it would make a delicious meatless dinner too!

Provonetta Pizza
Adapted from Eat Wisconsin Cheese
Printable Recipe

Serves 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 12-inch purchased pizza crust, par baked according to package directions
4-5 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced horizontally
2 cups (8 ounces) Provolone cheese, shredded
1/4 cup (1 ounce) Parmesan Cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
Black pepper to taste

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 385°F. Combine garlic and olive oil and spread over crust. Arrange evenly in order – tomato slices, Provolone Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, basil, pine nuts and pepper. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cheese is lightly brown. Pizza also can be made with flat bread crust.