Mango Chutney, Prosciutto and Paneer Pizza

Apparently this recipe comes from the winner of The Next Food Network Star, Aarti Sequeira.  I was just browsing the Food Network website and saw some reference "The Pizza Recipe."  So of course I clicked on it.  I love pizza and if there exists a recipe so delicious as to be called "The Pizza Recipe" I want to know what it is.  At first I was a little confused by the ingredient list and then I decided that the combination of those ingredients and flavors sounded like it could be really good.  Then I read the reviews and while most of them were endorsements of Aarti and not the dish itself, it got me intrigued enough to try making the pizza myself.  I figured Alex would be excited by the recipe for, if nothing else, the fact that this pizza is topped with prosciutto.  Don't get me wrong - Alex enjoys Indian food, as well as pizza, but give him prosciutto (or serrano ham) and he is a very happy husband.  Luckily we have prosciutto and I know exactly where to go for paneer cheese, frozen naan, and sweet mango chutney.

This pizza was really easy to make, which I generally expect from Food Network recipes, and was very tasty, but needs some work (which I also expect from most Food Network recipes).  It needs a little tweaking to really make it shine.  We tweaked some while cooking, but I wish we had tweaked a little more.  Alex and I both wished that the pizza had more heat to it.  We used the 1/4-tsp or crushed red pepper flakes that we specified below, but in the future I will probably bump it up to about a 1/2-tsp (at the very least).  We both also thought that the pizza would benefit from more ground cumin to add a little smokiness. All things considered I thought it was an easy and interesting lunch, and would make a nice quick and easy dinner if served with a side salad.

Recipe after the jump!

Mango Chutney, Prosciutto and Paneer Pizza

Adapted from The Next Food Network Star

By Aarti Sequeira

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/2 tbsp sweet mango chutney

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup crumbled paneer cheese

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes(if you like things spicy use more, but if you don't like things spicy, cut down on the amount to taste)

2 scallions, finely chopped

generous pinch ground cumin

1 tsp evoo

2 pre-made, store-bought naan (you can buy naan in almost every grocery store)

3 tbsp cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped 

4 slices prosciutto, torn

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, combine the tomato paste, mango chutney, minced garlic, and water over medium heat.  Stir until well combined.  Season with s&p.  Cook for about 5 minutes and then remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the mozzarella, paneer, red pepper flakes, green onion, ground cumin and extra-virgin olive oil.  Season with s&p.

Arrange naans on a rimmed baking sheet.  Divide the tomato-mango chutney sauce evenly among the naans, spreading to coat the top, but leaving a 1/2-inch border around the outside.  Evenly divide the cheese mixture among the naans.  Bake pizzas until edges are golden brown and crisp, and cheese has started to melt, about 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, tear the prosciutto into small pieces. When the pizzas are ready, top them with the cilantro and prosciutto. Cut each naan into 4 pieces.

Serve.