Porcini Pizza with Truffle Oil

The other night, a good friend of ours came over to join us for dinner. He is single and doesn’t have too many home cooked meals. Typically Jack in the Box or Carl’s Jr. is his dinner entrée of choice. He shares his dating adventures with us and we give him our advice. Hopefully, our guidance is appreciated. We look forward to the day that he finds “Miss Right”, since we know he is a terrific catch for the right girl.

Now onto the food - I perused the refrigerator to see what creative dishes I could create quickly. I had been craving mushrooms and had a package of Lavash bread from Trader Joes. First thing that came to mind was a flatbread pizza.  The combination of the earthy porcin mushroom, nutty gruyere and peppery arugula, and of course the drizzle of truffle oil, I knew it would be a perfect combination. The lavash bread makes the absolutely BEST thin crust pizza and is super simple to make. The combinations are endless.

Porcini Pizza with Truffle Oil

1 Flatbread or Lavash
½ C. Re-hydrated Dried Porcini Mushrooms (04 oz)
1 ½ C. Grated Gruyere
Olive oil
Garlic powder
3 Sprigs fresh thyme
Salt
1 C. Arugula
Truffle oil for drizzling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a cup of boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes or until completely soft.

Tip: You can save the porcini liquid for a mushroom risotto.

Place the flatbread or lavash bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons of good olive oil and using a pastry brush, spread over entire surface. Sprinkle garlic powder over entire surface lightly. Remove the thyme leaves and sprinkle over pizza. Place 2/3 of the porcini mushrooms over the pizza and then sprinkle the cheese. The remaining mushrooms can be strategically placed on top. Season the top with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 9 to 10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and edges are brown. Remove from oven and distribute the arugula leaves. Lightly drizzle a tiny bit of truffle oil. A little sea salt on top enriches the flavor. Cut into desired number of slices and enjoy.

Let me know what your favorite combination is!