Roasted Tomato and Leek Flatbread Recipe

Flatbread: It's pizza with a twist … or is it pizza that's flatbread with a twist? Some food historians believe that Italian pizza evolved from Egyptian flatbread. Either way, today pizza and flatbread are both made topped with an endless variety of ingredients.

Great as an appetizer or as a light meal with a crisp garden salad, this version gets its savory flavors from herb-roasted cherry tomatoes, leeks sautéed with garlic, nutty-flavored gruyère cheese, and a sprinkle of pine nuts. It's all assembled atop a fiber-rich whole-grain crust. 

Ingredients

2 cups red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 medium leek, washed well, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup cornmeal
1 (14-ounce) refrigerated classic whole-grain pizza dough
¼ cup pine nuts or slivered almonds
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded gruyère cheese 

Directions

Before you begin: Wash your hands.

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (176ºC).
2. Toss the cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven; set aside. (Note: This can be done ahead; roasted tomatoes can be frozen and also used in salad, quiche and salsa.)
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic. Cook and stir uncovered for about 3 minutes, or until slightly softened.
4. Turn the oven up to 400ºF (204ºC).
5. To make the crust, dust a 15-inch pizza tray or stone, or a greased non-stick cookie sheet, with cornmeal. Unroll the dough, arranging it over the cornmeal. Brush the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
6. Layer the roasted cherry tomatoes, leek, garlic and pine nuts or almonds on the unbaked crust. Top with gruyère cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven; allow the flatbread to sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Cooking Notes

• Herbs de Provence is an herb blend, often available in supermarkets. (Or, make your own blend.) If unavailable, substitute an equivalent total amount of marjoram, rosemary and thyme.
• To prepare the leek, remove the root end and leafy top (where the white part becomes green). Thoroughly rinse under cool, running water, separating the leaves while washing them to remove any dirt inside.

Nutrition Information

Serves 8

Calories: 310; Calories from fat: 150; Total fat: 17g; Saturated fat: 4.5g; Trans fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 15mg; Sodium: 400mg; Total carbohydrate: 31g; Dietary fiber: 3g; Sugars: 4g; Protein: 10g

Roberta Duyff, MS, RD, FAND, is author of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Complete Food and Nutrition Guide and 365 Days of Healthy Eating.