Pear and Gorgonzola Cheese Pizza

I did it again. Something sweet and salty! I'm sorry... I have SUCH AN ADDICTION! But let me also give my defense and say that Trader Joes stopped making (or supplying in my area??) their pear and Gorgonzola pizza. And I have been craving it for a longggg time. Other than CPK, I don't think I know of a place that makes a pear and Gorgonzola pizza anymore, which makes it really hard on me when I have cravings. So, I just made it myself.

1 pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
1 pear
1/2 pound or 8 ounces Gorgonzola Cheese
1 red onion slice
olive oil
Arugula (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lay corn meal on your pizza stone and stretch it out to the desired width and shape. I have begun to realize that "circle" doesn't really exist when making homemade pizza. Its more of an oblong round shape, but I think it gives it character.

Cornmeal is a must to prevent sticking

This pizza is super simple, and only has a few ingredients making it easy to do. The next thing you want to accomplish is the crumbling of the blue cheese. I do not recommend getting precrumbled cheese as it tends to be dry. Getting a hunk of cheese and crumbling it yourself leaves moisture and allows for a better melty cheese experience.

It's always nice when you have someone helping you in the kitchen :)

You want to cut the pears last as they tend to brown. But first, take your one pear and peel it. Make sure to just get the skin of the pear. You do not want to have to throw away chunks of the pear meat.

Cut the pear in half. Take one half of the pear and start slicing it into half circles. Essentially, start at the shortest end of the pear and work your way back slicing. Each slice should be between 1/6 and 1/4 of an inch.

Lastly, take the ring of red onion and slice it in half. The red onion is there to add a little bit of color and texture. Red onion will also get sweet when cooked, adding another dimension to the pizza. But we only use a little so as to not over power the dish.

Once all your pear and onions are sliced, it is time to layer on the pizza. Yes, this pizza has NO BASE. The cheese with thoroughly coat the pizza and you will not need a base. Just trust me on this. First, start with the pear. Layer it around the pizza dough nicely.

Drizzle the top with good olive oil.

Next, add the red onions. Lastly, cover every last corner of the pizza in the Gorgonzola cheese.

Drizzle the top again with a little more olive oil.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-13 minutes. Once you pull it out of the oven, let it cool for about 3-5 minutes. This gives the cheese a chance to set up and not slide everywhere once you start slicing.

You can either serve this pizza as is in slices........

.... or top it with a handful of Arugula, which compliments the pizza very well. Jacob opted for the pizza alone, and I added Arugula to mine.

Delicious!!! This pizza reheats very well too, and is also good at room temperature. Enjoy!!!