This pizza is so good, I could eat it every day—and at 218 calories per serving, that wouldn’t be a bad thing! It takes more effort than most of the dishes in this book, but few things are as satisfying as making your own pizza from scratch. If you are deterred by the concept of making your own dough, there are alternatives. Boboli makes a very good prepared whole-wheat crust (although it is loaded with sugar and is made from a mix of whole-wheat and white flours, unlike this all-whole-wheat version). Mix and match the toppings for variety.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　1/2 teaspoon molasses

　　3/4 cup warm water (110˚F)

　　1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour, plus extra for rolling and kneading

　　Nonstick olive oil spray

　　1 tablespoon cornmeal

　　2/3 cup Rocco’s How Low Can You Go Low-Fat Marinara Sauce (page 206) or store-bought low-fat marinara sauce

　　1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, such as Weight Watchers

　　1 portobello mushroom, sliced very thin

　　2 ounces reduced-fat pepperoni, such as Carando

　　1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves

　　2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

　　

Step 1

In a large bowl, dissolve the molasses in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the liquid and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Stir the salt into the yeast mixture. Then stir in the flour until the dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a work surface that has been sprinkled lightly with flour. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a large bowl that has been sprayed with olive oil spray; cover it loosely with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough sit in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

　　

Step 3

Gently punch the dough down. Spray a 7 × 11-inch baking sheet with olive oil spray, and then sprinkle it with the cornmeal. Using your fingertips, spread the dough out to completely cover the baking sheet. Spray the surface of the dough lightly with olive oil spray. Cover it lightly with plastic wrap, and let it sit in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 500˚F.

　　

Step 5

Place the baking sheet on top of the stone, and bake until the crust is golden brown, crunchy, and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.

　　

Step 6

Turn the broiler on high.

　　

Step 7

Spread the marinara sauce evenly over the crust. Top the pizza with the mozzarella, mushroom, pepperoni, basil, and cheese. Place the baking sheet on the pizza stone and broil until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Cut the pizza into 6 slices, and serve.

　　

per serving

Step 8

If you’re feeling creative, you can add these toppings to the pizza:

　　

Step 9

1 ounce (1/4 cup) chopped kalamata olives (Fat: 1.3g, Calories: 15)

　　

Step 10

1 ounce (3 tablespoons) chopped anchovies (Fat: 0.46g, Calories: 9.9)

　　

Step 11

2 ounces (1/2 cup) reduced-fat provolone cheese (Fat: 1.7g, Calories: 25)

　　

Step 12

3 ounces (1/2 cup) diced ham (Fat: 1.25g, Calories: 25)

　　

Step 13

3 ounces (3/4 cup) crumbled cooked turkey sausage (Fat: 1.15g, Calories: 22)

　　

healthy tips

Step 14

Alcohol is the epitome of empty calories. Although even in moderation it may taste good and temporarily lighten your mood, it can weigh your body down. Low-calorie powdered iced tea mixes stirred into chilled sparkling water make a fun but zero-calorie, alcohol-free sparkling beverage.

　　

nutrition information

Step 15

Fat: 42g (before), 5g (after)

　　

Step 16

Calories: 610 (before), 218 (after)

　　

Step 17

Protein: 13g

　　

Step 18

Carbohydrates: 31g

　　

Step 19

Cholesterol: 23mg

　　

Step 20

Fiber: 6g

　　

Step 21

Sodium: 542mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.