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    Home » Vegetarian » Onion Pizza with Tomato and Basil

    Onion Pizza with Tomato and Basil

    Feb 25, 2023 · by Valentina · 8 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This Onion Pizza recipe is unique and utterly scrumptious. Caramelized onions are essentially the sauce, it's beautiful and delicious and makes for an excellent main course. With a gluten-free crust made out of (one!) potato -- or your own favorite crust -- you will keep coming back for more.

    Small onion pizza with tomato slices on top with one slice being removed.

    It doesn't get much better than delicious, sweet, rich caramelized onions. Unless . . . they become an integral part of a pizza -- one made with potato, tomatoes and basil.

    Fun for a casual get together, or a family dinner, this onion pizza is a great main course or, you can cut it into small pieces and serve it as an appetizer. Any way you slice it, it's superb!

    Jump to:
    • The Ingredients
    • Substitutions
    • How to Make it
    • Recipe Tips
    • More Unique Pizza Recipes
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Making it Ahead
    • Onion Pizza with Tomato Recipe

    The Ingredients

    Potato pizza crust with fresh basil, half an onion, sliced tomatoes and part of a head of garlic.
    • onion - Use any variety you like. (I use yellow.) Try to choose onions that are firm, heavy for their size and without bruises.
    • garlic - Look for firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots, which is an indication of old garlic. (Raw garlic cloves should be firm without any dark spots.)
    • tomato paste - Tomato paste is a tomato concentrate that's made by cooking tomatoes for several hours to reduce the water content. In the onion pizza, it gets mixed with the onions once they're caramelized.
    • tomato - There are fresh tomatoes on top of this pizza. When it's not peak season (summer and early fall), Roma or Vine Ripened tomatoes will be your best bet. Color and feel are the best cues to ripeness -- they should be slightly firm, but have a little give when gently squeezed, and they should be a deep red color.
    • grated mozzarella - Mozzarella is a mild cheese which works well with the other flavors in the pizza so it doesn't outshine them.
    • basil - Look for perky bunches and avoid any brown, bruised or yellow leaves.
    • olive oil - Regular or extra virgin.
    • Smashed Potato Pizza Crust - Or your favorite crust.
    • salt - I cook (and bake) with Kosher salt. I prefer it for a few reasons: its larger flake size, it's less refined and usually doesn't contain additives, and it does a great job enhancing the flavor of foods without making them taste salty.
    • pepper - Preferably freshly ground.

    (See recipe card below for quantities.)

    Substitutions

    • To save time, use any (approximately 10-inch) prepared pizza crust you like.
    • If you'd like to substitute the fresh basil with dry, use about 2 teaspoons, and mix it into the onions in the middle of their cooking time.
    • You can substitute the tomato paste with tomato sauce, only use twice the amount.

    How to Make it

    - Make the Smashed Potato Pizza Crust (link above and in recipe below). This can be done up to a few hours ahead of time.

    Giant Smashed Potato Pizza Crust on parchment paper.

    - Coat the bottom of a medium-sized skillet with olive oil and place it over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, stirring often, until the edges are golden, about 10 minutes. (Or longer -- see Recipe Tips below.) Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute or so.

    Sauteed onions in a cast iron skillet with wooden spatula.
    Onions mixed with tomato paste in a cast iron skillet with wooden spatula.

    -Evenly spread the onion-tomato mixture on the potato crust, followed by the grated mozzarella, basil leaves and tomato slices. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

    Potato pizza crust with onion-tomato sauce spread over the top.
    Potato pizza crust with onion-tomato sauce and grated mozzarella cheese spread over the top.
    Potato pizza crust with onion-tomato sauce, grated cheese and basil leaves on top.
    Potato pizza crust with onion-tomato sauce, grated cheese, basil leaves and tomato slices on top.

    - Bake in a 400°F oven until the cheese is melted and the pizza is sizzling.

    (More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)

    Recipe Tips

    • In this recipe, the onions are quickly caramelized, just browning the edges of them. If you cook them longer and at a lower temperature, they'll be more caramelized -- sweeter and richer. The longer they cook, the more they'll shrink, so if you plan to cook them longer, use a larger amount. It's always better to have too much.

    More Unique Pizza Recipes

    • Basil Pizza with Pesto
    • Smashed Potato Egg and Bacon Pizza
    • Portobello Mushroom-Sausage Pizza
    Small onion pizza with tomato slices on top with one slice being removed.

    Serving Suggestions

    • This recipe is for a small pizza for a main course for two. You can cut it into as many slices as you'd like and share it with more people for an appetizer.
    • Onion pizza is great served with a salad. My favorites to serve with it are Parmesan Asparagus Salad and Grilled Little Gem Lettuce Salad.
    • It's also lovely with a side of green vegetables like this asparagus, or fresh fruit like Satsuma Salad or this Melon with Oregano.

    Making it Ahead

    • Ideally, you should use the crust for your pizza right after it's made. It can however, be made a few hours ahead of time. Once it's on the baking sheet ready for the toppings, let it cool to room temperature and then lightly cover it with foil until you're ready. No need to refrigerate it.
    • The onion "sauce" can be made up to a day ahead of time, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you're ready for it.
    • Everything else should be done as close to serving time as possible.

    I hope you love this onion pizza as much as my family and I do!

    Small onion pizza with tomato slices on top with one slice being removed.

    Onion Pizza with Tomato Recipe

    Valentina K. Wein
    This Onion Pizza recipe is unique and utterly scrumptious. Caramelized onions are essentially the sauce, it's beautiful and delicious and makes for an excellent main course. With a gluten-free crust made out of potato, or your own favorite crust, you'll keep coming back for more!
    Print
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Making the Crust 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian, American
    Servings 2
    Calories 413 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 (10-inch) Smashed Potato Pizza Crust (Click here for the recipe)
    • about 1 tablespoon olive oil for the pan
    • 1½ cups thinly sliced yellow onion
    • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
    • ¾ cup grated mozzarella
    • about 6 large basil leaves
    • 1 Roma tomato, washed, dried, thinly sliced
    • extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Set oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F, and adjust a rack to the center.
    • Make onion mixture. Coat the bottom of a medium-sized skillet with olive oil and place it over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, stirring often, until the edges are golden, about 10 minutes. (You can also cook the onions longer and at a lower temperature for a deeper and darker caramelization.)
      Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute or so, until it's very aromatic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's how.)
    • Assemble. Evenly spread the onion-tomato mixture on the potato crust, followed by the grated mozzarella, basil leaves and tomato slices. Drizzle with pizza with olive oil and then sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
    • Bake. Place in the preheated 400°F oven and bake until the cheese is melted and it's sizzling, about 15 minutes.
    • Serve. Let the pizza sit for about 10 minutes, slice and serve.

    NOTES

    Calorie count is only an estimate.

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 413kcal
    Keywords gluten-free pizza recipes, pizzas for sharing
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

     Cooking On The Weekends is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Debra

      January 01, 2015 at 12:49 pm

      I WILL be making this!

      Reply
      • valentina

        January 01, 2015 at 9:10 pm

        Great! Hope you love it! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Linda`

      January 01, 2015 at 1:08 pm

      I'll be taking this recipe to Mexico with me, a
      perfect choice para los amigos. Como se dice
      "Miss Congeniality" en español?

      Reply
      • valentina

        January 01, 2015 at 9:10 pm

        Yo digo, "Miss Congeniality." 😉 XO

        Reply
    3. John

      January 01, 2015 at 3:01 pm

      Can't wait to try this new use for the Smashed Potato Pizza Crust. Last evening I made three of the SPPC's, let them cool slightly, and then topped with creme fraiche that I stirred some finely chopped fresh dill and pepper into, and covered that with a layer of three different caviars. Served it with Champagne, and everyone loved them! This morning I e-mailed the requested recipe to twenty three of my guests!! Can't wait to hear how they use them. Have a peaceful, productive, and Happy New Year!

      Reply
      • valentina

        January 01, 2015 at 9:13 pm

        Hi John! I'm thrilled you've been working with the SPPC -- and I love that you gave it its own acronym! Thank you for trying it and for sharing the recipe with friends. Wishing you a very Happy New Year as well! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Zaza

      January 01, 2015 at 4:44 pm

      Wow, looks delicious! I can almost smell that pizza!

      Reply
    5. velva- Evening with a sandwch

      February 25, 2023 at 5:05 pm

      Hi Valentina, I am enjoying these recipes that focus on the beauty of onions, and what they offer in a dish, and a pizza like this one. Great recipe. Thanks for sharing.

      Velva

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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