Recipe: Pizza With Arugula, Sautéed Veggies and Goat Cheese

Craving pizza? Look no further than this delicious and heart-healthy pizza recipe. It’s a perfect appetizer to serve to guests or it’s an easy meal to dish up for the family. You can feel confident that you’re not only creating a mouthwatering dish, but you’re also helping keep hearts healthy!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/3 pound asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• 3 cremini mushrooms, very thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 ounces baby arugula
• 1 10-ounce prepared thin whole-wheat pizza shell
• 5 ounces reduced-fat goat cheese, crumbled
• Olive oil cooking spray

Directions

1. Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 F or preheat oven according pizza shell package.
2. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the onions, garlic, bell pepper, asparagus and mushrooms. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onion softens and becomes translucent and the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the vinegar and cook over medium-high heat for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Mound the arugula on the pizza shell, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Spread the cooked vegetables over the arugula. Drizzle with the vinegar remaining in the pan. Top with goat cheese and coat with cooking spray.
4. Carefully place the pizza on the preheated stone or baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or according to the package, until the crust is crisp and the cheese begins to soften. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes.
5. Slice into wedges and serve.

Ingredient health benefits

• Extra virgin olive oil: This cooking oil hardly needs an introduction these days. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is loaded with fat-soluble vitamins that support essential aspects of your health, like your eyes and bones. It’s also an excellent source of heart-helpful unsaturated fats that raise your “good” (HDL) cholesterol and reduce your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. EVOO may even have properties that help protect your cells from diseases like cancer as part of a well-balanced eating plan.
• Onions: Behind all those papery layers is a treasure trove of nutrition for any meal! Onions are full of prebiotics and fiber to support your digestion by feeding your “good” gut bacteria and helping to keep things “on schedule.” These common kitchen alliums are also full of flavonoids that lower inflammation to protect your cells from damage and potential disease. A flavonoid called quercetin, in particular, supports your heart health and may fight bacteria that can make you sick.
• Garlic: Another exceptional allium, garlic is so beneficial, that it’s often considered a superfood. It may help boost your immunity as part of a nutritious eating plan, and it has natural compounds that may kill bad bacteria. And that’s not all! Eating garlic on the regular might also help lower your blood pressure.
• Red bell pepper: That satisfying crunch comes with a lot of perks. Red bell peppers have anthocyanins, natural pigments that give the peppers their delectable red and can support your heart and brain health. There are also important vitamins like vitamin B6, vitamin A and vitamin C. These nutrients go a long way in promoting good vision, a thriving immune system and happy blood cells.
• Asparagus: On a pizza? You bet! This stalky vegetable is loaded with fiber to help support your gut microbiome, as well as antioxidants that help fight harmful free radicals. Asparagus is even an unexpected source of copper, folate and iron, and it’s high in vitamin K to help keep your bones and blood cells in top shape.
• Mushrooms: This popular pizza topping isn’t just good for your taste buds, you know. Mushrooms are packed with minerals that promote immunity and healthy blood pressure — like selenium, potassium and zinc. These fantastic fungi also have B vitamins, like vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and vitamin B2 (riboflavin), that keep your metabolism on track.
• Cheese: You may be pleasantly surprised to find cheese on this list. Rest assured, calcium isn’t the only benefit you get from this delightful dairy product! Cheese has two main proteins, casein and whey, that promote strong muscles. They’re also complete proteins, meaning that when it comes to getting all the amino acids you need, they got your back. Casein may even protect your oral health from nasty microbes that can cause a host of problems for your teeth and gums. And who can say no to some head-to-toe-healthy omega-3s?

Nutrition information (per serving)

Serving = 5

Calories: 240
Fat: 7 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Sodium: 440 mg
Protein: 11 g
Carbohydrates: 36 g
Sugars: 0 g
Dietary fiber: 5 g