Flatbread Pizzas with Spinach and Egg

Photo credit: Dana Mortell

The first time I saw egg cooked on a pizza, I was in Italy in my college days and although it was pretty ordinary there, it seemed revolutionary to me. Now, I don’t know how I ever managed without it. It’s such an easy way to turn pizza into a more balanced, protein-rich meal. Here, I round out the plate further, adding color, texture, and health with fresh chopped spinach and sun-dried tomatoes and by using whole-grain flatbread for the crust. With their egg yolks sensuously runny, their golden melted cheese, and crispy, saucy bottoms, these flatbread pizzas with spinach and egg offer loads of comfort-food flavor with minimal time or prep.

Flatbread Pizzas with Spinach and Egg

Ingredients

4 whole grain flat breads, such as pita or naan (about 7 inches diameter, 2 ½ ounces each)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup high-quality jarred marinara sauce
2 cups, lightly packed, chopped fresh baby spinach leaves
6 small sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted in hot water for 10 minutes if very dry, sliced
½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese *
4 large eggs
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3/4 ounce)
Salt, to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the flat breads on a sheet pan and brush the tops with the olive oil. Spread 2 tablespoons of
the marinara sauce on top of each bread, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Top each
with ½ cup of the spinach, a sprinkling of the sundried tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of the
mozzarella cheese. Make a well in the center of the topping of each pizza. Crack an egg into a
small bowl, then transfer the egg to one of the wells in the center of a pizza. Repeat with the
remaining eggs. It’s Ok if some of the egg white drips off the bread a bit, but try to arrange the
spinach so it keeps the egg in the center. Sprinkle each pizza all over with the parmesan cheese.

Place in the oven and bake until the egg whites are mostly set but the yolks are still soft, 11-13
minutes. Let rest on the tray for 2 minutes before serving. (The egg will continue to set as it
rests.) Season with salt and crushed red pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings

Serving size: 1 pizza