Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1 per person
What are the benefits? This is a great low carb recipe, a creative takeaway alternative, and provides you with one of your five a day.
I’m forever on a quest to find a way to eat pizza and be healthy. The two don’t exactly go hand in hand, but I feel like it’s my kryptonite. Pizza is just one habit I can’t kick and, being completely honest, I’m not entirely sure I want to… 🍕
My latest attempt at getting that saucy, cheesy satisfaction without all the, y’unno, grease, is to take classic pizza toppings and load them into a fresh vegetable rather than on top of a thick, doughy crust. I won’t lie to you – no, it’s not the same. You can’t swap a deep dish for a red pepper and expect not to know the difference. BUT, it still tastes delicious.
It gave me the same yummy flavour I was after but also oozing nutritional value, unlike pretty much any pizza ever! Not only that, but I managed to get hold of everything I needed for this recipe for just 80p per person.
INGREDIENTS
2 Bell Peppers, Halved and Deseeded
1 Ball of Light Mozzarella Cheese
4 Large Slices of Pepperoni
1/2 Carton of Passata
Sprinkling of Parmesan or “Hard Cheese”
SEASONING
Mix a good dose of garlic flakes, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper into the passata so the pizza sauce has strong flavour. With the peppers, they shouldn’t need much tweaking – just a touch of salt and pepper on the outside.
So, this is how I did it…
1. First off, add a very small dash of cooking spray or a teeny drop of oil to a baking tray, use a tissue to spread it across the tray and place the bell peppers, skin side up. Don’t let it get too oily, otherwise the peppers will go almost soggy, which is great for a succulent roast pepper but not great for holding their structure when stuffed. Season and cook for 20 – 25 minutes on 200°C.
2. Pour the passata into a bowl and stir in a hefty helping of herbs, garlic and seasoning.
3. Remove peppers from the oven and fill with the pizza stuffing – one layer of passata, torn chunks of mozzarella (drained as much as possible before using!) and the pepperoni, chopped or torn into small pieces.
4. Place back into the oven, stuffed side up, for another 20 minutes or so.
5. Switch on the grill and leave the peppers underneath for a couple of minutes, just until the tops crisp up and the parmesan cheese browns. Delish!
#ThisGirlEats 