Like any college student, I need quick meals during the week. When you’re balancing 18 credits and 20 hours of work a week, waiting an hour for a home cooked meal just doesn’t cut it. While ramen admittedly tastes pretty good, I want something a little better than that… like pizza!
But seriously; with the premade crust or even the dough blobs in the refrigerated section, pizza is a pretty quick fix, and making it at home means it’s not as greasy as take out. The best part? You can put anything you have on top and chances are it will taste ok. Which brings me to this week’s recipe.
The feature vegetable: arugula. It’s a smaller leafy green that tastes like a bitter, peppery lettuce. The recipe: arugula and prosciutto salad. Why? My mom makes this recipe from time to time (including when we go camping) and it’s crazy simple.
Pre-made crust or pizza dough (I made my own because I was too cheap to buy it)
Arugula
Prosciutto (it’s a thinly sliced bacon relative. You can find it in the deli, and it’s a bit pricey, but you only need a little)
Cheese of some fashion. We use a blend of parmesan and mozzarella, but you can use goat cheese or even a thin layer of ricotta
Olive oil
Garlic (powder or minced), salt, and pepper to taste
You’ll notice that I didn’t include measurements for anything. This is an eyeball recipe.
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. On a cookie sheet or baking stone, place your crust or stretch out your dough evenly until it’s roughly pizza sized.
2. Lightly drizzle the dough with olive oil, season with salt/pepper/garlic. Put the cheese on top (a thin layer works best).
3. Throw that in the oven for about 10 minutes, then take it out. Place the prosciutto evenly over the cheese, then put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
4. Remove the pizza and sprinkle arugula over the top. Slice and serve.
Comments from the peanut gallery:
• If you start with dough, make sure you stretch it carefully. Uneven dough won’t cook correctly, and if it rips, you have to start over.
• Times are approximate. The first cooking cycle should be enough to get the dough mostly cooked and the cheese melty, whereas the second cycle is to finish the crust and crisp up the prosciutto.
• WIth that in mind, keep an eye on the prosciutto. Because it’s crazy thin, it’ll cook up really quickly and burn if you leave it in there too long.
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This article was written by Amanda Hutchinson.. Email her at ahutchi2[at]ithaca.edu