This recipe uses canned smoked oysters and is super easy to throw together.
Ingredients
Smoked Oysters, 1 can
Pita bread, 2 pieces
Pasta sauce, 1 jar (preferably garlic flavored)
Mozzarella cheese
Cooking instructions
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 to 7 minutes
1. Turn on the broiler on HIGH.
2. Set up 2 pieces of pita bread on a baking sheet.
3. Spread a spoonful of pasta sauce over the pita bread.
(I like using a garlic-flavored pasta sauce because I think that pairs well with oysters. But you know, get whatever pasta sauce you want or buy whatever is on sale. You could even make your own pasta sauce, but the recipe does say it’s “easy,” so therefore…storebought in a jar it is.)
4. Sprinkle however much Mozzarella cheese you want on the pizza. Use a different cheese if you feel like it. I chose Mozzarella. If you have the ball of cheese, obviously grate it first or slice it up and place it on the sauced pita bread. I got the sprinkle cheese because I am lazy.
5. Open the can of smoked oysters and begin placing them on the pizza. If you have other toppings, like olives, bacon, bell peppers, or sausage…well, you can put those on too, but they are optional. This is your pizza. Add whatever damn toppings you want. I’m putting on chopped jalapeno cheddar salami because I got some for Christmas and need to use it up.
(The only ingredient you need to make it a “smoked oyster pizza” is canned smoked oysters. That’s the only topping you can’t leave off.)
(Also, the smoked oysters have other stuff in the can with them, like peppers, carrots, and onion. You may add these to the pizza, too, if you want. I ate them straight from the can as a pre-dinner snack.)
6. Put the pita pizza in the oven under the broiler. Wait 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
7. Remove the pita pizza from the oven and cut/slice or even leave as is. Serve while still hot. Makes 1 pizza per person. Or 2 pizzas for one person. I don’t judge.
Notes
If you are making more pizza for more people, well, you will need more cans of smoked oysters (duh). So if you make 4 pizzas, use 2 cans, etc. You do the math.
Serve with salad. Or don’t.
This recipe doesn’t use the whole jar of pasta sauce. So put it in the fridge, then maybe make some sardine sketti tomorrow night.
Canned Smoked Oysters Storytime
So, one day I happened to find a box of canned smoked oysters in my pantry (and to this day, I'm not really positive how it showed up there) and I needed to find a way to use it.
I got the idea from a cookbook with old school Italian recipes that my dad gave me as part of a house warming gift basket. It had a recipe in there for homemade pizza with oysters, but it required me to make the dough myself. And I'm just not that skilled of a home cook (yet).
Plus, considering we were mid-renovation, I didn't have a fully stocked kitchen and many of my big cooking utensils were in storage. I had to make do with the bare minimum. (But my husband says I'm the Queen of Making Do, so…make do I did.)
After some thought, I decided to try it with pita bread. It's quick, easy, and something I could throw together with minimal effort and tools---just a baking sheet and spoon are needed---and use up these random canned smoked oysters in my pantry.
I tried it. It was a hit with the husband and baby. And now, it's a regular meal in our house when we're craving pizza but not in the mood to pay $50 for one. And there’s minimal clean up after.
All in all, it's an easy, delicious recipe that uses an ingredient that would just stay stashed in the back of the pantry. Enjoy!
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