Pepper and Cherry Tomato White Pizza.

Peak pepper + cherry tomato season means white pizza night. We make a quick, garlicky peperonata on the stove so the veggies bake up sweet and jammy—not watery. It’s simple, colorful, and perfect for an easy late-summer dinner (and it slides right into fall, too).

Can you guys believe August is nearly over and Labor Day is exactly one week from today? I am in complete shock. Also, I have zero Labor Day plans…typical. I think I need to plan to plan something fun. What are you guys doing?

This coming fall is going to be pretty busy around here and I am both nervous and excited. September marks the release of my very first cookbook, the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook, so I will of course be making my way around to promote the cookbook. We will also be debuting a brand new HBH site redesign (coming very soon!), along with continuing to work on the new studio barn (yay!). And of course I will still be continuing to post, both here and on Instagram, daily. It’s going to be a lot, but I am so excited!

I’m currently working to get organized, and a bit ahead, in preparation for upcoming events and travel. If anyone has tips on staying organized…and energized…please let me know, I certainly need them!

For now though, let’s talk pizza, because one, pizza makes me happy, and two, pizza is DELICIOUS.

Why You’ll Love This

• Sweet-peppery topping that actually cooks through.

• Balanced cheese blend for creamy pull + nutty flavor.

• Weeknight-friendly: stovetop simmer, stretch, bake.

This pizza was inspired by peperonata, which is an Italian bell pepper and herb sauté. It’s basically just bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs, simmered in extra virgin olive oil until the peppers are soft and the garlic fragrant. Some recipes call for a longer cooking time to really allow the flavors to mend, but for this pizza we’re just doing a quick ten minute or so simmer.

I’ve seen peperonata recipes all over the place, but for some reason I had never thought to put the mix atop a pizza. That was until I had an abundance of bell peppers sitting in my fridge before my family and I left for Cleveland. I knew I needed to use them up before we left, so I decided on a pizza topped with peperonata.

You wouldn’t think simmering the peppers in olive oil, garlic, and herbs would make a huge difference, but trust me it does. Pizza cooks up pretty quickly and I’ve always found that any time I add raw veggies onto pizza dough and bake, the veggies never cook properly due to the quick cooking time of the pizza.

Cooking the peppers and tomatoes first on the stove-top not only allows them to soak up the flavors of the garlic and herbs, but also pre-cooks them. By the time the finished pizza comes out of the oven, the veggies are cooked just right.

It seems all peperonata recipes are made a little differently, so here’s what I did…

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet with three bell peppers (I used two red and one orange), a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh oregano, balsamic vinegar, a pinch of pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Simmer everything until your kitchen smells like an Italian grandmothers (seriously, it smells SO good). Then layer it all on some pizza dough with fresh basil, provolone and Gruyère cheese.

Bake. Top with more basil. Smell the goodness. Slice and EAT.

NOW you want pizza, right?!

FAQ:

Can I use mozzarella instead of provolone and Gruyère?
Yes—use low-moisture mozzarella for structure and add a little Parmesan for nuttiness. Expect a slightly milder flavor than Gruyère.

How do I keep the crust crisp with juicy tomatoes?
Halve and pat tomatoes dry, don’t pile toppings too thickly, and bake on a lower rack or preheated stone so the bottom sets fast.

Can I make the topping ahead?
Totally. The peperonata holds well for 2–3 days in the fridge; bring to room temp so it spreads easily and doesn’t cool the dough.

Can I grill this pizza?
Yes—grill the stretched dough on one side until set, flip, add toppings to the cooked side, then cover and grill until the cheese melts and bottom is charred.