Pear & Prosciutto Pizza

I know, it sounds so fancy. I think I can even pronounce prosciutto now. Besides sounding fancy, I think this may be the yummiest pizza I've ever made! I don't usually stray this far from our basic pizza faves but I'm glad I was feeling adventurous.  The swiss and mozzarella cheese combination totally nails it and the pear and prosciutto team up to make a killer sweet and savoury party in your mouth.  The bar for family pizza night just got raised a few notches.

Ingredients:
1 uncooked Pizza Crust*
6 cloves garlic
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 ripe pears, halved and cored
1 tablespoon olive oil
all-purpose flour for dusting
1 unbaked pizza crust
1 tablespoon cornmeal for dusting
6 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
5 thin slices prosciutto*, cut into halves
1 (6 ounce) package fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon olive oil  

*For those that are first time prosciutto users be warned that it looks raw. You do not need to precook it before putting it on the pizza though. It will be thoroughly cooked by the time the pizza is done baking.

Directions:
I always use my favorite homemade pizza crust* but you can use a store bought crust if you want.  (These directions are for the homemade crust.  Follow the baking directions that come with your crust, if you choose to use something else.)  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place the garlic in a small square of aluminum foil. Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over the garlic. Wrap foil around garlic to seal. Roast the garlic in the preheated oven until soft, about 20 minutes. Smash roasted cloves with a fork. Place the pears in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil; toss to coat. Arrange pear slices on a baking sheet. Bake in hot oven until soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Raise oven temperature to 500 degrees F (200 degrees C). Preheat a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Lightly dust a flat surface with flour. Roll the prepared pizza crust dough out onto the prepared surface. Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal. Lay the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread the mashed garlic onto the dough; top with the Swiss cheese. Arrange the pears, prosciutto, and mozzarella cheese onto the pizza. Season with salt and pepper. Brush the edges of the crust with the 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is melted and crust is golden brown, about 10 minutes.

*This pizza crust recipe makes enough dough for 2 pizzas.

Source:  allrecipes.com