white bean and sweet chili coconut shrimp pizza

I’m a bit proud of this one, my second post for the WorldFoods challenge. And I got this idea from thinking about beans.

Beans are not usually something I ever think about. I tend to shun beans, not really enjoying their flavor or consistency. But I did have a bean dish this summer that I really enjoyed at Isola Pizza Bar – it was made with cannellini beans and had a great punch of garlic and rosemary and served as a dip. I started thinking… what if I put that dip on a pizza?

And then what if I added shrimp to it?

This led me to make this White Bean and Sweet Chili Coconut Shrimp Pizza.

Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

This is about all you need – and some onion, which I forgot to include in the photo. Silly.

The first thing you need to do is crank your oven to 500 degrees. Put your pizza pan in there, too. Trust me.

The next thing to do is prep the shrimp – clean and devein those suckers and then use this Sweet Chili Coconut sauce to marinate the shrimp.

Then just set it aside while you prep the rest of your food! You should also take out your pizza dough to let it rest and come up to room temperature while you are making the bean sauce.

These creamy looking beans need a drain after the lid is popped off, but save that “bean juice”! We’re going to need it again while making the bean sauce.

Chop up about half an onion and five cloves of garlic. It seems like a lot of garlic but I think it gives the bean sauce a great, simple flavor.

Cook the onions in olive oil with a sprinkle of salt and pepper until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant.

Add your beans and a few tablespoons of the reserved bean liquid. Add another dash of salt and pepper and cook until heated through.

Put the whole thing into your blender with the rest of the reserved bean liquid and a few good tablespoons of olive oil.

Whirl this mixture around until perfectly smooth. Be sure to taste it and season to your liking! It might need a little more salt & pepper love, if your tongue tells you so.

Smooth, creamy, bean stuff!

Time to prep the pizza dough!

Sprinkle a little bit of flour on the dough and then you need to stretch and roll it out.

I like to let gravity do all of the work for me. I start to twist the dough around in the air to stretch it out. I don’t do that tossing thing – I’m afraid of dropping the whole thing on the floor. I work quickly enough to get the dough out to a good size – though not quite round… but that’s okay!

Once the dough is a good size and the oven’s ready, pull the pizza pan out of the oven and carefully place the dough on top. Once it’s on there it will not move until cooked through, so be mindful!

The heat from the pan will sear the bottom of the crust and start cooking it right away, helping you to create a nice, crispy bottom.

After the dough goes down, I always put olive oil, salt and pepper on the bottom. I’m a firm believer in seasoning every layer!

The dough is ready for that beautiful white bean sauce to be spooned on top of the crust.

Plop your shrimp across your misshaped pizza and then pop it back into your hot oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Yummy pizza goodness is now at your fingertips! Even if it’s not a traditional round shape. That just makes it more “rustic”.

For a little “oomph”, add prosciutto and chopped cilantro to your pizza after it comes out of the oven. Totally optional, but also another little layer of flavor for your slices.