This Bruschetta Pizza is a mashup of two of my favorites – bruschetta and pizza. Think: crispy pizza topped with melty mozzarella cheese and then finished with the fresh flavors of a bright, tangy, garlicky tomato bruschetta, a classic Italian appetizer. 

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Ingredients

Ingredients for this vegetarian bruschetta pizza recipe are listed below, with quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post.

• Pizza dough: Store-bought pizza dough works perfectly fine. I like the one from Trader Joe’s. You can use fresh pizza dough or frozen pizza dough (that's been thawed).
• Mozzarella: You can use a large ball of fresh mozzarella torn into small pieces or tiny little mozzarella pearls – either way, you want to make sure you have enough to cover the surface of the dough. Bagged shredded mozzarella would also be fine. 
• Cherry tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are plump, juicy tomatoes that are perfectly sweet. You can use virtually any tomato variety for this recipe, though. 
• Red onion: Minced really small, it brings a nice pungent kick to the bruschetta. 
• Garlic: Raw garlic, very finely minced so it evenly coats the tomatoes. 
• Basil: Fresh basil leaves; they brighten up the dish and gives it a perfect herbaceousness. 
• Extra virgin olive oil: Since bruschetta isn’t a cooked dish, you want to use a good tasting, quality olive oil. 
• Balsamic glaze (aka balsamic reduction): Drizzled on top of the cooked pizza with bruschetta to give it a final punch of flavor. Most stores have this premade in a bottle. 
• Parmesan: Shaved parmesan to go as a finishing touch on top of the pizza along with the balsamic glaze. 
• Salt and pepper: Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. 

Step by step instructions 

What is bruschetta?

Bruschetta is an Italian dish that is a beautifully flavorful mixture of fresh tomatoes, garlic, red onion, basil, and extra virgin olive oil. It allows each ingredient to really shine, with juicy ripe tomatoes bringing lovely sweetness and acidity, garlic and onion bringing a kick of flavor, basil bringing the freshness, and extra virgin olive oil to round it all out. 

To make homemade balsamic glaze

Set a small pot over medium low heat. Add 1 cup regular balsamic vinegar and a few tablespoons of sugar. Gently simmer until thickened to your liking – about 10 minutes.

Tips and tricks 

• Don’t put the bruschetta on top of the cooked pizza until you’re ready to eat because it’ll make it soggy. 
• The longer you let the bruschetta sit, the more robust the flavors will become as they marinate together. 
• You can prepare the bruschetta up to 4 days in advance (store in the fridge) if you want to get ahead of prep! 
• If you’d like to make your own pizza dough, I recommend this recipe. 
• If you want to make sure your crust gets really crispy on the bottom, I recommend investing in a pizza stone. It is stored in the oven usually, so it warms up as the oven preheats which means the uncooked pizza gets put right on a hot surface when it goes in the oven which crisps the bottom quicker.

​Recipe alterations 

• Give it a hint of spice by adding red pepper flakes in the bruschetta topping. 
• Add a few dollops of basil pesto sauce.
• Add roasted red pepper to the bruschetta. 

What to serve with bruschetta pizza

One of the best things about this easy bruschetta pizza is that it can be served at room temperature, so no cooking up until the last minute when the meal needs to be served – same with all of the dishes below!

• If you’re doing a pizza night with multiple pizzas, I suggest the second one be a red sauce base like this pepperoncini and onion pizza or this meat lovers pizza.
• Saucy meatballs
• Roasted vegetables like asparagus or broccoli 
• Grilled steak or grilled chicken 
• Simple arugula salad with a squeeze of lemon juice, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and some shaved parmesan

Storage and reheating 

• Storage: store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the fridge. Store leftover bruschetta separately in an airtight container in the fridge. Both will stay for approx. up to 4 days. 
• Reheating: Warm in the oven at 350°F for ~10 minutes. You want the dough warmed through but the tomatoes from the bruschetta are not fully cooked and soft/soggy. 
• If you have only leftover bruschetta, I recommend serving with some warm crusty bread. 

FAQs

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📖 Recipe

This Shrimp Scampi Risotto combines two of my favorite dishes – garlicky herby shrimp and creamy risotto loaded with parmesan and a good amount of lemon. It's slightly brothy to resemble the sauciness of shrimp scampi, so serve with some toasty bread to soak it all up. 

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Ingredients 

For the shrimp scampi 

• Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil is best – healthiest and most robust flavor. 
• Unsalted butter: adds a bit of richness.
• Shrimp: Medium-sized defrosted or fresh shrimp; usually 36-40 per lb. 
• Garlic: five cloves of garlic, sliced. 
• Red pepper flakes: adds a little depth, not necessarily making the dish spicy though. 
• Lemon juice: the acidity and brightness known to a classic shrimp scampi.
• Salt and black pepper: seasoning! Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper if you can. 
• White wine: a dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. 

For the risotto

• Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil.
• Onion: yellow onion minced fairly small. 
• Arborio rice: this is the best rice to make risotto with – it’s a short grain white starchy rice, so as it cooks it releases its starch to thicken the sauce as it cooks through. If you are having trouble finding this variety of rice, I suggest using any other short grain white rice. 
• White wine: same as you used for the shrimp – a dry white wine. 
• Vegetable or chicken stock: this is what you use to cook the rice in intervals, vegetable stock or chicken stock are my preference as they add flavor without overpowering. Chicken broth or vegetable broth also work. 
• Parmesan: fresh grated parmesan makes the risotto nice and creamy.  
• Lemon zest: adds a hit of brightness at the end that pairs really well with the shrimp scampi. 
• Salt and black pepper: kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper if you can. 
• Parsley: a fresh element to balance everything. 
• Unsalted butter: to finish the dish and make it nice and luscious. 

What is risotto?

Risotto is an Italian dish believed to have originated in Northern Italy. It uses a cooking process of gradually adding liquid as it cooks so the rice slowly releases its starch, resulting in a creamy, luscious texture. More on the history of risotto here.

How to make shrimp scampi risotto 

Tips and tricks 

• Use frozen shrimp and thaw when you need it. Most times, grocery stores are selling pre-frozen shrimp anyway, so if you buy it frozen yourself you get it as fresh as possible because you can defrost it on your own terms. 
• Stir the risotto very frequently as it cooks - this ensures nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and the rice cooks as evenly as possible. 
• Always use warm stock, it helps make sure it absorbs into the rice evenly.
• Monitor the heat so it’s always simmering but never boiling. 

Storage and reheating 

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge. 
• To reheat, warm in the microwave for a few minutes, stirring halfway through, until warm. 

FAQs

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📖 Recipe

These Rice and Bean Tacos are an incredibly easy and quick meal to throw together. They use simple microwave Spanish rice and canned black beans that get zhuzhed up a bit with chopped chiles. 

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Ingredients

• Rice: microwave rice works great here to keep it simple. I like Ben’s Ready Rice Spanish Style. Here's a recipe if you'd like to make your own Spanish style rice, and one if you'd like to make your own Mexican style rice. 
• Black beans: canned black beans work well here. You could substitute pinto beans or kidney beans if you like something a little creamier. 
• Spices: a mixture of cumin, chipotle powder, garlic powder, and onion powder – all of which add a nice well rounded flavor to the canned black beans. 
• Mild chopped green chiles: sold in a can, available in most grocery stores. 
• Tortillas: corn tortillas or flour tortillas, whichever you prefer. 
• Salt: balance and bring out the flavors. 
• Toppings: my preferred toppings are avocado for creaminess, limes for acidity, cilantro to brighten it up, and white onion for a little bite.

How to make rice and black bean tacos

Tips and tricks

• Warm your tortillas, it makes them more malleable and more enjoyable to eat. 
• Squeeze lime juice on the avocado to prevent it from going brown. 
• Drain and rinse your beans, you don’t want the liquid they sit in going into your tacos. 
• To make the onions more mild and less pungent, run them under cold water and pat them dry before you add them to the tacos. 
• If you want to avoid the tortilla, you can serve the rice and beans over some shredded lettuce, with whatever additional toppings you’d like – chopped fresh tomatoes, cucumbers,  avocado, etc.!
• To meal prep these rice and bean tacos – make the bean mixture and warm the rice, store each separately in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Ingredient substitutions

• Rice: Cilantro lime rice would also be great. Brown rice also works as a back-up option although will be lacking in flavor. 
• Spies: Rather than using all those spices individually, you can add a teaspoon or two of taco seasoning. 
• Onion: Red onion or pico de gallo can be used in place of a white onion.
• Chopped green chiles: If you're not able to find this in a can, I'd suggest getting a poblano pepper in its place. Poblano peppers are nice and mild.
• Tortillas: if you prefer crispy tacos, you can use the hard taco shells. 

Taco toppings

Taco toppings are really up to personal preference. While I like avocado, lime juice, cilantro, and onion, some other great options are:

• Coleslaw 
• Red cabbage 
• A crumbly cheese (like cotija cheese or queso fresco) 
• Some hot sauce or chipotle crema
• Chopped jalapeno pepper
• Corn salsa or tomato salsa

Storage and reheating

• To store any leftovers, I suggest storing the pieces individually – rice in one container, beans in another, and toppings in another. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in airtight containers.
  • To reheat, assemble the taco and warm in the microwave for a few minutes. Or you can reheat each ingredient separately and then assemble once all are warmed. 

FAQs

Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating and review below and tag me on social!

📖 Recipe