A good shakshuka is typically paired with bread to soak up the delicious sauce, so why not combine the two into one perfect pizza?
National Pizza Day felt like the perfect excuse to get creative with a fun take on classic shakshuka—a spiced tomato sauce with poached eggs, appropriate for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Our shakshuka pizza is packed with Mediterranean flavors like eggplant, red bell pepper and tons of warm spices. Easy enough for a casual meal but impressive enough to serve at your next brunch or dinner party.
If you’re trying to avoid carbs, the shakshuka is perfectly delicious on its own. Prepare it in an oven-safe skillet, crack the eggs directly into the pan, and finish in the oven. We recommend doubling up on the kale and eggplant to make it heartier.
RECIPE:
Spicy Shakshuka Pizza with Eggplant and Feta
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
1 ball of store-bought pizza dough
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
2 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (add more for an extra kick)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 Japanese eggplant, cubed (1/2 of one regular eggplant will also work)
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 tsp light brown sugar
1/2 cup lacinato kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
5 eggs
4 oz feta
Cilantro, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Sauté the onion until softened and translucent. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, cinnamon and red pepper flakes and sauté for a minute more. Add the bell pepper and eggplant, cook until the vegetables are softened and coated in the spices, another 3-5 minutes. Stir in the canned tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spatula, and season the mixture with salt and pepper. If the tomatoes taste acidic, add a teaspoon of brown sugar. Simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes, adding the kale halfway through. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Take it off the heat to cool slightly.
Place a piece of parchment on a large sheet pan. On a floured surface, stretch the pizza dough to a large rectangle roughly the size of the sheet pan. Brush the parchment with olive oil and carefully transfer the dough to the pan. Gently brush the top of the dough with olive oil and a generous pinch of sea salt. Bake in the oven for 7 minutes, until the dough is mostly baked through and starting to brown.
Spoon the shakshuka onto the pizza crust, leaving a border around the outside. Using a spoon, create six small wells in the tomato sauce. Carefully crack an egg into each of the wells, season the eggs with salt and pepper, and transfer the pan back to the oven. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the pan and set the oven to broil. Sprinkle the feta cheese over the top and return the pizza to the oven. Broil for another minute or two until the whites of the egg are no longer translucent and the egg yolks are as runny (or set!) as you like.
Top with chopped cilantro and enjoy!
Note: This recipe makes tons of extra shakshuka which tastes even better the next day, or can easily make a second pizza if you’re feeding a crowd (you’ll just need to double up on dough, eggs and cheese).
