Mediterranian Calzones

These calzones are tasty and so easy.  The hardest part is making your pizza dough, but you could make some on Sunday for pizza and then use the left-over for calzones the next day.  You could mix and match the ingredients in the calzones depending on what you have handy in your kitchen.  This is also a great way to add fresh flavors to your winter dinner rotation.

Ingredients:

- Pizza dough

- Olive oil

- 1T dried oregano

- 4c fresh baby spinach

- 1 can small artichoke hearts (reserve liquid)

- 1/2c diced roasted red pepper (or about 2 peppers)

- 2T capers

- 2T tomato paste

- 1 small onion, halved and sliced

- 4c shredded mozzarella

- 1c grated parmesan 

(This recipe makes 4 large calzones, even though only two are pictured below.)

Heat your pizza stone in a 450-degree oven. 

 

In a skillet, heat about 1T olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until wilted and translucent.  Add tomato paste and stir to coat onions.  Continue to cook for another minute or so until the tomato paste smells sweet and is thickly coating onions.

 

Add artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, and capers.  If the tomato paste is very thick, you might want to add a little bit of the liquid from the canned artichokes, just to loosen things up a bit and create more of a thick sauce consistency.  Then add the spinach and let it cook down.  You might have to add it in two batches, depending on how big your pan is.

Turn off the heat and allow mixture to cool slightly while you prepare the crusts. 

Divide your dough into balls about half of the size of your fist.  Stretch out into rectangles.  Place about one heaping cup of your vegetable mixture on the middle of one side of the dough.  Top with about 1c shredded mozzarella.  Make sure to leave about a half-inch dry dough around the edge so that when you fold the dough over it will stick together.  Fold the dough over to create a square and press the dough together around the edges. Sprinkle generously with grated parmesan. 

Move onto the pizza stone and cook for about 15 minutes, or until nice and toasty brown. 

Let cool for about 10 minutes and serve!