Foodie Fridays: Carmelized Onion & Bacon Pizza

Although I have nothing against bacon, I admit that I don't always understand the bacon craze. Why would anyone want deep fried bacon? Or bacon cupcakes? Or turbaconducken? However, in some recipes, bacon makes perfect sense. Its crispness and smoky flavor make the perfect contrast with creamy ricotta and sweet onions. This pizza recipe, adapted from Savory Bites and Smitten Kitchen, is the perfect end-of-the-week meal for an evening of television, surfing the net, or even (in my case) updating your curriculum vitae and getting ready to apply to grown-up jobs.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup ricotta (give or take a little)

1 red onion

4-5 strips of bacon

1 tsp. brown sugar

a pinch of salt

2 Tbls. olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Pizza dough (I used approximately 1 pound of dough, which I purchased from a local pizza place)

Mozzarella and parmesean (if you so desire)

cornmeal

1. Cook your bacon until just crisp. You can use leftover bacon or you can simply cook it in the oven while you are preparing the onions. Drain the bacon and chop into bite-size pieces. If you didn't cook your bacon in the oven, turn your oven to 350 degrees to let it preheat.

2. Chop the onions so you get half rings. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sprinkle them with the brown sugar and salt. Sautee the onions for 15-20 minutes until they are dark brown and sweet.

3. Put parchment paper on a baking sheet and sprinkle the paper with cornmeal (you can use a pizza stone if you have one). Roll the pizza dough out on the prepared baking sheet. You can create a crust by pressing your fingers into the dough. Brush the dough with the remaining olive oil, and sprinkle it with minced garlic.

4. Spread the ricotta cheese on the pizza dough. Top the cheese with the onions and bacon. If you like, you can also sprinkle on some mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

5. Bake the pizza at 350 for 15 minutes, and then bake it for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. My oven is evil and burned (or "carmelized," as my friend likes to say) the bottom of my crust. However, this did not detract from the yumminess of this pizza.