Simple and Delicious Tuna Pizza

I made a tuna pizza completely on a whim.  And now I’m in love with tuna pizza.  It was delicious!  And SO simple to make!  Hence the title, Simple and Delicious Tuna Pizza (just in case that needed clarification).

If you are like me and stock your pantry with staples that have a long shelf life, chances are you have a can or two of tuna in there.  And chances are you like pizza.  There you go.  Given that I am all about anything pizza, and that I had these cute little 5-oz cans of albacore in water in my pantry, I saw it as the perfect marriage of invention and obsession.  The obsession being mine…with pizza…after all, I have 9 blog posts on pizza.  Ten with this one.

For your convenience:

1. Pizza Bianceneve (White Pizza)
2. Fridge & Pantry Garlic Chicken Flatbread Pizza
3. Chicken Fajita Pizza
4. Sausage Breakfast Pizza with Country Gravy
5. Portuguese Pizza (Pizza à Portuguesa)
6. Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza
7. Salmon and Herb Pizza
8. Flatbread Pizza with Beef, Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions
9. Ultimate Combo Pizza (one of my first posts, so excuse the photography)

Steve has been working from home on our 6th week of confinement, with neither of us going out much except for supplies.  This has challenged me to keep my meals as varied as possible.  After all, we are already a little bored being cooped up.  Adding boring meals to the mix seems like unnecessary punishment.

Trying to think outside the box, I pulled out one of the cans of tuna, then opened my fridge and scanned the contents.  I normally make my own pizza crust, but occasionally, for a quick and easy meal, I buy some of the Wewalka ready-made crusts.  They are fresh, not frozen, and very good quality.  I usually find them in the refrigerated section close to the raw biscuits and crescent rolls.

And I always have Kalamata olives, onions, fresh garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, mozzarella, and olive oil.  After all, no self-respecting pizza-obsessed person would be without those ingredients.

Anyway, I assembled this simple tuna pizza with the ingredients at hand and in less than 30 minutes, I had a stunning little bistro pie.  Steve could not stop praising it, and even I have to say it far surpassed my expectations.  It may have been simple, but it was delicious!  See, there it is again, that little title thing.

let’s make a simple and delicious tuna pizza

The Wewalka Bistro Pizza crust is a thin crust, 11-inches in diameter.  It is perfect for a small pizza and will yield 4-6 slices.

I’ve already mentioned the ingredients I had on hand.  If you note, I also used fresh oregano in this recipe.   I think that is a key component because it adds a lemony, herby, Mediterranean vibe that really elevates the dish.  But if you don’t have fresh, dried will work too.  Just use quite a bit less of the dried because it is stronger in flavor.

I got my fresh oregano from the herb pots I keep in my back yard.  I have been growing them this way for years and they make such a difference in my kitchen!

The oregano is in the bottom pot with the sage and thyme.  I love my little herbs!

Start by unrolling the pizza crust.  It comes rolled into a large section of parchment paper that also serves as the perfect lining for your pizza pan.

Add the olive oil and garlic for the base.

Then add the tuna.  You want to make sure it is broken apart into crumbles, with no big chunks.  I sprinkled a pinch of salt over the tuna at this stage.

I put the tuna right over the olive oil and under the other, wetter ingredients so that the tuna sort of cooks in all the juices and stays moist.  Putting it at the bottom with other stuff on top ensures that it is not exposed directly to the oven heat, which could make it hard and dry.

Then top with the Kalamata and onion slices.

Spread the oregano leaves, then top with parmesan cheese.

Finally, top with a generous amount of hand-shredded mozzarella.

Pop that baby in the oven according to the instructions on the dough package.  I used the convection setting because the crust is thin enough to crisp up without direct bottom heat.

For convection, the instructions said 400°F and mine was fully baked on the bottom end of the recommended time frame.  Any longer and it would have been over-caramelized.

Cut and serve, topped with fresh cut parsley for a beautiful, fresh finish.  I also like to drizzle a nice amount of high-quality extra virgin olive oil over the top.  Hmmm hmmmm!

Let me tell you, with every bite, I could easily picture myself in a small Italian town, near the sea, enjoying a thin-crust slice of deliciousness.  Seems like this much happy from a little can of tuna should not be possible!  Certainly, this humble seafood delight, transformed with some classic, yet common Mediterranean ingredients, is a surprisingly simple yet delicious treat.

See how I worked than in again?  Yeah…just pat me on the head and send me home.  🙂

Simple and Delicious Tuna Pizza

Lori

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings 4 -6 slices

Ingredients

  

• 1 Wewalka Bistro Pizza crust
• 1 can albacore tuna in water 5-ounces, drained and crumbled
• 2 medium-sized garlic gloves diced
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced sweet onion
• 10 +/- kalamata olives halved
• 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano leaves can substitute with about 1/4 teaspoon of dry oregano
• 2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese grated
• 1 tablespoon quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese freshly grated
• Salt to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven according to the Wewalka package instructions (400° F for convection, 425°F for conventional).
• Unroll the dough disk from the parchment paper. Then place the parchment paper as a liner for your pizza pan. Lay the dough disk on top of the parchment paper and pat it down to smooth any creases left from being rolled up.
• Brush the olive oil and then the garlic onto the surface of the dough, spreading evenly and going very close to the edges.
• Top the garlic and olive oil with the drained and crumbled tuna, spreading evenly. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Add the Kalamata olives and onions, then top those with the oregano and parmesan.
• Finally, top everything with the shredded mozzarella, making sure to cover the tuna meat completely.
• Bake according to the Wewalka instructions or until the mozzarella is fully melted and starting to caramelize.
• Slice and serve hot, drizzling slices with more olive oil, if desired