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Hearty, flavorful ground lamb, slow-roasted tomatoes, salty kalamata olives and feta, and Greek seasonings… The flavors of Greek Lamb Pizza may have you dancing the kalamatiano!
Greeks love to dance. And eat. I have always been drawn to Greek flavors. I was still in high school when I first made spanokopita – the traditional Greek savory pastry with spinach, feta, egg, fresh herbs, and butter. Lots of butter. Each layer of phyllo dough is brushed with butter. I have not enjoyed a piece of spanokopita in years as it just doesn’t meet the definition of “healthy.” 😯 However, much of Greek cuisine does, and I do tend to cook a lot of it. The healthy fat (olive oil), garlic, lean proteins, tomatoes are the essence of the Mediterranean diet that I follow loosely.
Greek Lamb Pizza is a versatile recipe that can be prepared at a leisurely pace when you have the luxury of time, or prepared quickly with the help of a couple of commercially available products. I have done both. My bread machine turns out a lot of pizza dough… This recipe makes enough dough for 2 thin crust pizzas. Given that I’m typically feeding 2, I freeze half of the dough for another meal. It’s always exciting to realize I’ve got pizza dough ready to go in the freezer!
I LOVE to make slow-roasted tomatoes. The process requires several hours, but only a few minutes to prep. Inexpensive roma tomatoes are perfect; slow-cooking them intensifies their flavor. I typically make a full sheet pan of them, and store in zip bags to use as needed. You can substitute commercially prepared slow-roasted or sun-dried tomatoes. Prepared pesto makes a great base layer for this pizza. I make my own in the summer when basil is plentiful, but I like to keep a jar in the fridge for pizzas and paninis.
Feel free to experiment. 🙂 Feta is an obvious choice with a Greek-style pizza, but it is not mandatory. If you have an aversion to lamb, try beef, chicken, or turkey. What are you waiting for? Isn’t this Greek Lamb Pizza calling your name? It’s calling mine!
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Greek Lamb Pizza
Hearty, flavorful ground lamb, slow-roasted tomatoes, salty kalamata olives and feta, and Greek seasonings... Make it with your own homemade ingredients, or good quality prepared ones for a super quick and flavorful pizza.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound lean ground lamb
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste (see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pizza dough (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons pesto (see notes)
- 1/2 cup slow roasted tomatoes sliced (see notes)
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives sliced
- 1/4 cup feta crumbled
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons parmesan grated
- zest of 1 lemon
- Italian parsley finely chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees (425 convection). If grilling, preheat to very hot.
In a saute pan over medium heat, break up the ground lamb. I find a potato masher makes this task easier.
When lamb begins to brown, add the shallot, garlic, crushed red pepper, and cinnamon. Continue cooking until lamb is completely cooked.
Remove from heat.
If using pizza dough, roll out very thin, and place on a pizza stone or baking sheet. If using prepared naan or pizza crust, place on pizza stone or baking sheet.
Brush with pesto. Top with lamb mixture, sliced tomatoes and kalamatas, and crumbled feta.
Bake pizza until pizza dough is cooked and beginning to brown. If using prepared crust, feta should be starting to brown. This takes 7-10 minutes.
Garnish the hot pizza with parmesan, lemon zest, and Italian parsley. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Crushed red pepper is hot. If this is an unfamiliar ingredient, start with about 1/4 teaspoon, omit entirely, or sprinkle on to taste when serving.
I have made this with bakery prepared naan, and with pizza dough made in my bread machine with this recipe. I use half of the dough, and roll it out on my 14" pizza stone. This is a thin crust. The remaining dough can be frozen for another pizza! Another good option if you don't want to make your dough, is to buy pizza dough, or a prepared pizza crust found in your grocer's Italian foods section.
When basil is in season, I make my own pesto. I also keep a good quality prepared pesto on hand for pizzas, paninis, etc. It's a great time saver.
I love to make slow roasted tomatoes. I make a large batch, and store them in zip bags. You may be able to find commercially prepared slow roasted tomatoes in the Italian foods section. Sun dried tomatoes are a great alternative.
I find the ground lamb mixture doesn't need salt due to both olives and feta in the pizza. You may prefer to add salt, but proceed carefully.
Macronutrients (approximation from MyFitnessPal): 515 calories; 24 g protein; 53 g carbohydrates; 25 g fat. I watch portions closely, and we cut this pizza into 8 slices, and each have 2 for dinner with a side salad, and then 2 for lunch the next day.
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