On May 27, 2021 we held a Family Cooking Class in partnership with Siena Campo of Oryana Community Co-op and over 30 families from Westwoods, Courtade, Central Grade, and Buckley participated! Families received ingredients to make a delicious Pasta Pizza dish to enjoy at home. We’ve included the video and the recipe below so you can try it too!
Combining these two favorites is a no brainer! Your new favorite pizza crust: PASTA! More specifically, capellini or angel hair pasta. Regular spaghetti pasta will work fine but angel hair makes a crispier crust.
Toppings are totally up to you – I went vegan with my cheese and veggies but you can, of course, use whatever toppings your family loves.
Cast iron is the best option for this recipe but any old pan will work fine as long as it’s oven-safe too.
1/2 lb. capellini (angel hair) pasta
4 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup pizza sauce
½ cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped mushrooms
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
¼ cup sliced olives
½ cup mozzarella cheese (vegan if applicable)
Parmesan cheese (vegan if applicable)
Optional: Italian seasoning, zucchini, pepperoni, basil, red pepper flakes
Start by sautéing the chopped onion, mushrooms, and pepper in 2 tablespoons olive oil. In a skillet. Sprinkle them with a little salt as they cook. When they are lightly browned and delicious, in about 5 minutes, set them aside for later.
Start a big pot of water for the pasta and wait for a rumbling boil! Add a heaping teaspoon of salt and your pasta and then stir immediately. Test the pasta around 2-3 minutes as angel hair cooks very quickly. Pour into a colander in the sink and let it drain. Set aside.
Now turn your oven on to 400°F.Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to your pan and turn the heat up to medium. Swirl the oil around to coat the whole pan. Carefully place your drained pasta in the pan and spread it out – a little sizzle is good!
Cook for 5-7 minutes until pasta is crisping on the bottom to your liking. If you prefer a well-done pizza crust, you may consider the next optional step.
Place a plate on top the pan and flip the crust onto the plate. Slide the crust back into the pan, now crispy side up. You may choose to skip this step and if that is the case, reduce your initial crust cook time to 3-5 minutes.
Time for toppings! Spread your pizza sauce, sauteed veggies, cheese, Italian seasoning, olives, and anything else that sounds yummy. I went with zucchini and basil. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and bake.
Depending on your toppings and cheese of choice your pie might take 10-20 minutes to fully cook, keep an eye that it doesn’t burn (past 15 minutes).Take your dish out of the oven and top with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes, or however you normally eat your pizza. Use a knife to first cut out your pieces before serving.
