Garlic bread pizza on ciabatta is what happens when
a) you have a cherry tomato plant that produces at least 10 ripe tomatoes a day
b) basil that’s growing out of control due to all the rain
c) you read too many food blogs
I read this recipe sometime last week and pinned it to my “recipes I want to try” board. Now usually I see something that I like, pin it, and move on. But I couldn’t get this pizza out of my head. I love everything tomatoes, basil, and cheese (evidence here and here) and with so.many.tomatoes. I had to make it. I mean nature was forcing me to. 
This is a super easy pizza that’s similar to French bread pizza but way better because you make it on garlic bread. I mean, how can you turn down garlic bread? You know those boxes of frozen garlic bread made out of thick sliced bread? Yeah, I can’t buy that because I’ll eat the whole box in one sitting. So basically, if you like garlic bread and you like pizza, you’re going to adore this recipe.
I’m not a huge fan of raw garlic so I changed up this recipe a little to suit my tastes. But if you like (mostly) raw garlic, then feel free to not to cook it beforehand!
Garlic Bread Pizza on Ciabatta
Print this recipe!
1 large loaf ciabatta bread*
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 teaspoon, divided
1 pound cherry tomatoes
7 medium sized garlic cloves, minced finely
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
4 oz mozzarella cheese**
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Preheat oven to 400°.
Slice the ciabatta loaf in half, length-wise and set aside one half for another use.
In a small saucepan or skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and starting to sizzle, add the garlic and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, 1-3 minutes or until garlic is fragrant and beginning to brown. Remove from the heat immediately and transfer to small bowl to cool slightly.
In a medium to large skillet or pan, heat a tiny bit of olive oil (about 1 teaspoon) over high heat. Add the tomatoes and saute until they are soft and beginning to brown, but not so long that they start to open and release their juices. Remove from heat and set aside.
Brush cut side of bread with the garlic butter, spreading it to the very edges and making sure to get it in all the holes and air pockets. Sprinkle with Parmesan and then layer on the mozzarella. Arrange the tomatoes around the mozzarella; don’t put any tomatoes on top of the mozzarella.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese has melted and begun to brown. Remove from heat and sprinkle on the basil. Allow to cool for a minute or two before cutting into pieces and serving.
*You can either buy or make the ciabatta. I chose to buy mine because ciabatta requires an overnight starter and is fairly temperamental. It wasn’t something I felt like attempting, but if you are up for the challenge I suggest this recipe.
**The original recipe calls for fresh mozzarella. I love it so that’s what I used, but I imagine shredded cheese would be fine too. You don’t need to space the tomatoes around the cheese if you use shredded.
-Adapted from Baker’s Banter
This post is linked to Tasty Tuesdays and Tasty Tuesday, and A-Zebra Celebrations
The post Recipe: Garlic Bread Pizza on Ciabatta appeared first on Adventures in Life, Love and Librarianship.