The Briny Lemon: Dried-Tomato Pizza with Figs and Goat Cheese

Keep pizza night simple and easy with only a few flavorful, inviting (maybe unexpected) ingredients. Drying tomatoes brings out their rich, sweet, caramelized flavor, and it’s one of the easiest preparations you can do in your kitchen. Make them a few hours or even a day ahead, then they’re ready to top the pizza along with sweet, fruity figs and tangy goat cheese. I think you’ll like the flavor combination.

For another thin-crust pizza idea, check out Thin-Crust Pizza with Bacon and Red Onion.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

2 medium roma tomatoes, cut into 1/10-inch-thick slices
olive oil, for drizzling and brushing
sea salt
1 11- to 12-inch thin pizza crust
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp crumbled dried oregano
3 oz soft goat cheese, cut or pinched into small pieces
1/2 cup small-chopped black mission figs

Medium Romas

Slice Very Thinly

Pizza Toppings

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 225° F. Line a shallow baking pan with parchment paper.
Lay the tomato slices in a single layer on the pan. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until the tomatoes begin to dry and caramelize, 30-40 minutes, depending on thickness.
Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. (If making a day ahead, stack on a saucer, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before using.

Ready to Dry

Dried Tomatoes

Stack, Cover, and Refrigerate Overnight

Increase the oven temperature to 400° F (or according to pizza crust directions).
Lay the pizza crust on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with olive oil and spread with tomato paste.
Top with the dried tomatoes and season with oregano and salt. Scatter goat cheese and figs on top of the tomatoes.
Bake until the crust is crispy around the edges and the cheese begins to brown, 10-12 minutes.