Caprese Pizza — When the Season Asks for Something Simple After the Boil

Week 427. Year 9. Tommy is 42. The crawfish are running and the driveway is set up and the neighborhood knows because the steam carries the invitation. Rémy at the burner, 42-year-old Tommy at the table with a beer, watching the boy who became a cook become a man who cooks. Luc (18) at LSU studying engineering. Colette (15) in high school, painting. The spring is the same spring — crawfish and azaleas and the particular heat of March in Louisiana — and the sameness is the prayer.

Made crawfish boil this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Always enough.

The boil is the main event — always will be — but the spring doesn’t end when the pot cools down. Later in the week, when Colette is painting at the kitchen table and Luc’s back at school and the driveway is quiet again, I find myself wanting something that still tastes like the season but doesn’t ask much of anyone. That’s when a Caprese pizza earns its place: ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil still bright — the same spring that carries crawfish and azaleas, just quieter and closer to home.

Caprese Pizza

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb pizza dough, store-bought or homemade, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat. Place a baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 475°F for at least 30 minutes. A hot surface is the key to a crisp bottom crust.
2. Prepare the dough. On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll the dough into a 12-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper.
3. Season the base. Mix 1 tablespoon of the olive oil with the minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Brush evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border for the crust.
4. Add the toppings. Layer the mozzarella slices evenly across the dough, then arrange the tomato slices on top, slightly overlapping. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
5. Bake. Slide the pizza (on its parchment) onto the hot baking sheet or stone. Bake for 10—12 minutes, until the crust is golden at the edges and the cheese is bubbling with a few light brown spots.
6. Finish and serve. Remove from the oven and immediately scatter the fresh basil leaves over the top. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with red pepper flakes if using. Slice and serve right away.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 18g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 51g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 680mg