Mediterranean Pizza

Photo: flickr user Puck777

Ingredients

1 box Atkins Quick and Easy

Country White Bread Mix - (12.6 oz)

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided

medium eggplant cut ¼" slices

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup controlled carb tomato sauce

(such as Rao)

1 cup cooked crumbled Italian sausage (abt 2 links)

small yellow bell pepper thinly sliced

2 ounces log fresh goat cheese crumbled

cup fresh basil leaves very thinly sliced

Preparation

Combine bread mix and yeast in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups warm water and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Mix with a spoon to form a soft dough. Knead gently for one minute; shape into a ball. Cover with plastic, and let rise for 1 hour or until dough is doubled in size.

While dough is rising, sprinkle eggplant with salt; place in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Brush eggplant slices with remaining olive oil and place in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake ten minutes, turning once.

Shape dough into a 14-inch round and transfer to a wire mesh pizza screen or a pizza pan with holes. Spread tomato sauce on dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with eggplant, Italian sausage, yellow pepper and goat cheese. Spread toppings as close to the edge as possible.

Bake pizza 20 to 22 minutes, or until puffed and nicely browned. Remove from oven and sprinkle with basil.

This recipe yields 8 servings.

Description: "This colorful veggie pizza is light and filling - but plan ahead though, the dough takes 1 hour to rise."