Pear and Balsamic Onion Flatbreads
with Fresh Mozzarella and Chili Oil
When your heart says “pizza” but your head is telling you “salad,” why not have some of both? This recipe is here to bring some balance to your evening. Flatbread crusts are loaded up with caramelized balsamic onion, sliced pear, and mozzarella before being baked to a crispy golden brown. While that’s in the oven, you’ll work on putting together a simple green salad that uses more of the pear for a sweet touch, as well as a chili-infused oil for drizzling over and adding spicy heat.
1 unit
Red Onion
1 unit
Bartlett Pear
4 ounce
Fresh Mozzarella
()
5 teaspoon
Balsamic Vinegar
2 unit
Flatbreads
()
1 teaspoon
Chili Flakes
2 ounce
Mixed Greens
1 teaspoon
Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon
Sugar
7 teaspoon
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion. Halve and core pear. Thinly slice one half; dice other half. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and sliced pear and cook, stirring, until browned, 7-9 minutes.
Once onion and pear are browned, stir half the vinegar and 1 tsp sugar into pan. Let reduce until syrupy, 1-2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside in a small bowl. Wipe out pan.
Tear mozzarella into small pieces. Place flatbreads on a baking sheet. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella and topping. Bake until mozzarella melts and flatbreads are golden brown, 10-12 minutes.
While flatbreads bake, heat 2 TBSP olive oil and a pinch of chili flakes (about ¼ tsp) in pan used to cook topping over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot and begins to bubble slightly, 1-2 minutes, immediately turn off heat. Pour chili oil into a small bowl and let cool.
In a large bowl, toss together lettuce, diced pear, a drizzle of olive oil, and 1 tsp vinegar. Season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar (to taste).
Cut baked flatbreads into slices and drizzle with chili oil to taste. (TIP: For less heat, strain out the chili flakes using a fine-mesh strainer.) Serve with salad on the side.