The best Italian ingredients comingle in this delicious pizza from Epicurious member Saatchiken.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

　　

FOR VEGETABLES

12 Roma (plum) tomatoes, halved

　　1 large red onion, cut into 8 wedges

　　2 heads of garlic with skin on, top 1/4 inch cut off to expose each clove

　　1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried

　　1 tablespoon sugar

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　

FOR PIZZA

1 cup balsamic vinegar

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　1/4 cup all-purpose flour

　　1 pound prepared pizza dough

　　1/4 cup cornmeal

　　1 (8-ounce) ball fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, or 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) coarsely shredded mozzarella

　　2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

　　1 cup baby arugula

　　

MAKE VEGETABLES

Step 1

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F.

　　

Step 2

Arrange the tomatoes (cut side up), onion, and garlic (cut side up) on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the thyme, sugar, salt, and pepper. Roast the vegetables until the onion is tender and the garlic is golden brown, about 1 hour. Transfer the vegetables to a rack to cool.

　　

Step 3

Once the vegetables are cool enough to handle, squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins into a small bowl. Using a spoon, mash the garlic into a paste. Cut the root end off each onion wedge and separate the slices.

　　

MAKE PIZZA

Step 4

In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, bring the balsamic vinegar and sugar to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

　　

Step 5

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.

　　

Step 6

Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out the pizza dough to a 12- to 14-inch diameter, 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle the cornmeal evenly over a pizza pan or baking sheet and lay the dough on top. Spread the mashed roasted garlic evenly over the dough and arrange the onion, tomatoes, and mozzarella evenly on top of that.

　　

Step 7

Bake the pizza until the crust is golden on the bottom and the cheese is melted, 12 to 15 minutes.

　　

Step 8

Garnish the pizza with the grated Parmesan, balsamic reduction, toasted pine nuts, and arugula. Serve immediately.

　　

DO AHEAD

Step 9

The BALSAMIC REDUCTION can be cooled and refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 weeks.

　　

Step 10

The VEGETABLES can be roasted and refrigerated, in separate covered containers, for up to 3 days.

　　The Epicurious Cookbook