Mediterranean Pizza

This homemade mediterranean pizza is packed with the vibrant flavors of marinated veggies, sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and feta cheese.

Pizza nights at our house are always something to look forward to! A great homemade pizza, in my opinion, is a few notches above your average delivery option. This pepperoni pizza is the kids’ favorite so on regular rotation.

But I’ve always been a veggie lover when it comes to pizza and will opt for an artichoke and sun dried tomato pizza or a regular veggie pizza whenever I can get away with it! Sometimes I split the dough in two and make two pizzas just so I can get my veggie fix.

And this Mediterranean pizza, my friends, in my humble opinion, is the ultimate veggie pizza.

It is loaded with marinated veggies, three kinds of cheese, and gets a tangy twist from the sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives. It’s super easy to make and tastes absolutely divine!

Why you will love this Mediterranean Pizza

If you know me, you know how big of a fan I am of the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet follows some pretty basic guidelines like eating fresh, whole foods, lean protein, and healthy fats. If you’d like to learn more about it, here is a complete guide to the Mediterranean diet.

While the Mediterranean diet is not completely vegetarian, it does focus a lot on plant based foods. When you want to incorporate Mediterranean flavors, think fresh and flavorful.

Sliced red bell peppers and red onions add a sweet crunch, while thinly sliced zucchini provides a mild, fresh taste. Sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives are essential for their intense, concentrated flavors—sweet and tangy from the tomatoes, and briny and savory from the olives.

I use my favorite Greek-style marinade to marinate the vegetables, which is an extra step that doesn’t take much time but gives them so much more flavor.

Ingredient Notes

Pizza dough

Making homemade pizza dough is pretty easy and it is always so much better than the store-bought version. I always make my own pizza dough but you can use a good quality store-bought pizza crust as well if you don’t have time to make a homemade dough.

If you like a softer, thicker crust, follow the instructions for this thick crust pizza! It’s the same basic dough recipe with a couple of modifications to make it extra thick. This is a great option if you really like to load on the toppings since it will make a sturdier crust.

I’ve also seen people use Mediterranean flatbread, tortillas, pita, and even naan as their pizza crust, and you can definitely go that way as well!

Pizza Sauce

If you want to make your pizza sauce from scratch I highly recommend my easy 5-minute pizza sauce, made with tomato paste. It’s the best I’ve had and uses pantry staples you probably have. Otherwise you can absolutely use your favorite store bought sauce.

Cheese

I use three kinds of cheese in this pizza – mozzarella, parmesan, and feta. Mozzarella is a must for that gooey, melty factor, and I like to add a bit of finely shredded Parmesan for its sharp, nutty flavor. Crumbled feta cheese is another key component, bringing a creamy, tangy element that is quintessentially Mediterranean.

Red Bell Pepper

The red bell peppers add a sweet, crunchy texture to the Mediterranean pizza. You can use any color pepper you like or have on hand.

Red Onion

Thinly sliced red onion adds a mild, sweet onion flavor. Yellow onions, sweet onions, white onions, or shallots can be used instead.

Zucchini

I love some thinly sliced zucchini on my pizza, and it also adds great color, but other vegetables like broccoli, eggplant, summer squash, mushrooms, artichokes, spinach, etc. can be used instead, or in addition to zucchini.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes

The sun-dried tomatoes are a must for that tangy burst of flavor. I like to use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes for a richer taste and softer texture.

Kalamata Olives

Kalamata olives are a staple in Mediterranean cuisine. They add a briny, salty contrast that enhances the overall flavor profile of the pizza. You can also just use black olives or even green olives if that’s what you have on hand.

Fresh basil

Fresh basil gives this pizza a final burst of fresh mediterranean flavor. You can skip it if you don’t have it on hand, or top with some fresh arugula instead for a fresh, peppery flavor.

Marinade Ingredients

While marinating the veggies is an optional step, it’s an easy way to enhance their flavor. I usually only marinate them briefly while I prepare the pizza for topping, but you can absolutely do this step ahead of time and marinate them for several hours.

The marinade I use is this Greek marinade which includes red wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, sugar, oregano, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

Step by Step Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients and add the sliced red bell pepper, red onion, and thinly sliced zucchini. Toss everything together to combine well and set aside to marinate for about 15 minutes, while you prepare the pizza for topping.

1. While the vegetables are marinating, place a pizza stone in your oven and preheat your oven as high as it will go (mine goes to 550°F).

1. On a large sheet of parchment paper sprinkled with a little semolina or flour, stretch the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch circle. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border uncovered. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the sauce.

1. Remove the marinated vegetables from the marinade and spread them evenly over the cheese. Then, evenly distribute the sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, crumbled feta, and shredded Parmesan over the top.

1. Carefully transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone using a pizza peel or the back of a large baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on how hot your oven gets, until the pizza is cooked through and the cheese is melted, golden, and bubbly. My takes 8 minutes at 550F.

1. Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes and chopped basil to taste before slicing and serving.

More Topping Suggestions

I love all these toppings but you can definitely add or remove anything. Here are some thing I think would taste great on this Mediterranean pizza!

• artichoke hearts
• spinach
• hummus
• chickpeas
• a drizzle of some good quality pesto
• a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
• grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes!
• some fresh arugula at the end
• mushrooms

Storage Instructions

To store your leftover pizza, allow it to cool completely before placing it in an airtight container. You can also wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store the pizza in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days.

For longer storage, you can also freeze the pizza. Frozen pizza can be stored for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, reheat in the oven at 375°F until warmed through and the cheese is melted.

Tell me what you think!

Mediterranean Pizza

This homemade mediterranean pizza is packed with the vibrant flavors of marinated veggies, sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and feta cheese.

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Prep Time: 22 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 slices

Calories: 330kcal

Tools for This Recipe

• pizza stone optional
• Pizza Peel optional

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ball pizza dough homemade or store bought, at room temperature
• ▢ 1/2 cup pizza sauce homemade or store bought
• ▢ 2 cups 6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ▢ ½ large red bell pepper sliced
• ▢ ½ medium red onion sliced into half moons
• ▢ ½ medium zucchini sliced ⅛ inch thick
• ▢ 1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes sliced
• ▢ ¼ cup kalamata olives sliced
• ▢ 1/2 cup feta crumbled
• ▢ ¼ cup Parmesan cheese finely shredded
• ▢ Red pepper flakes to taste
• ▢ Fresh basil chopped

Marinade

• ▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon oregano
• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• In a large bowl whisk together the marinade ingredients (2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Add 1/2 a sliced red pepper, 1/2 a sliced red onion, and 1/2 a thinly sliced zucchini and toss to combine. Set aside to marinate for about 15 minutes.
• While the vegetables are marinating, preheat a pizza stone in the oven, as high as it will go (mine goes to 550),
• On a large sheet of parchment paper sprinkled with a little semolina or flour, stretch the pizza dough out into a 12-14 inch circle. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border uncovered. Sprinkle 2 cups shredded mozzarella over the sauce. Remove the vegetables from the marinade and spread them evenly over the cheese.
• Sprinkle the pizza evenly with the 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, 1/4 cup kalamata olives, 1/2 cup feta, and 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan.
• Carefully transfer the pizza to the pizza stone in the oven using a pizza peel or the back of a large baking sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes (this will depend on how hot your oven is), until cooked through, with the cheese melted, golden and bubbly,
• Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and chopped basil to taste, before slicing and serving.