Tomato, basil and courgette ribbon mini pizzas recipe

These tomato, basil and courgette ribbon mini pizzas are the ideal party food for kids' parties or family gatherings. You can whip up 8 of these tasty treats in just 45 mins. Suitable for vegetarians, each homemade circle of pizza dough is topped with a freshly-made pizza sauce and a handful of courgette ribbons and multi-coloured tomatoes. These pizzas are great served with a simple salad, some roasted summer vegetables or with a selection of other tasty treats at a party or picnic.

Ingredients

For the pizza dough:

• 250g self-raising flour / plain flour + 3tsp baking powder
• 4tbsp olive oil
• 100ml warm water

For the tomato sauce:

• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1tbsp tomato puree
• 1tbsp dried oregano or mixed herbs

For the toppings:

• A few handfuls of multi-coloured tomatoes
• Small handful of fresh basil
• A large mozzarella ball
• A courgette

Method

1. Preheat oven to 230ºC/210ºC fan/Gas Mark 8. Lightly grease and line two large baking trays.
2. Put the flour (with baking powder mixed in) into a bowl, and make a well in the centre. Pour in the oil and most of the water, and mix together to form a dough. The dough should not be too sticky – so don’t add all the water at once, add a little more as necessary
3. Give the dough a good knead on a lightly floured surface, folding the dough over on itself and pressing down with the heel of your hand. Keep turning, folding and pressing until the dough is even and smooth and elastic in texture (at least 5-10 minutes). Older children love getting involved making their own pizza – and kneading the dough is one of the best jobs (and saves you work, too!).
4. Cut the dough in half with a sharp knife to create two even balls, then divide these again to create four balls and a final time to create eight even balls of dough. Roll each ball out on a lightly floured work surface with a rolling pin into mini round pizza bases, approx. 5mm thick, and transfer to baking sheet. You can roll them directly on to cut up sheets of parchment paper if you like – to make the dough easier to transfer. Why not get older children involved with dividing the dough – it’s a nice simple maths challenge getting them to divide the dough into 8.
5. To make the tomato sauce, finely chop the onion and sauté with the oil in a frying pan over a low heat until soft, then crush the garlic and add to the pan for another couple of minutes
6. Add the tin of tomatoes, tomato puree and herbs and continue to sauté for another 10 minutes. The sauce should thicken and intensify. You can use the sauce as it is, or blend it until smooth in a blender if you prefer
7. To finish the pizzas spread a generous layer of tomato sauce over each pizza base, then add a scattering of sliced tomatoes, a few torn basil leaves, some torn up mozzarella and some courgette ribbons. (To make courgette ribbons, simply use a vegetable peeler)
8. Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, until the crusts are golden and the topping bubbling.