This cute cheese-and-pepperoni shark is fun to put together and perfect for a casual meal or quick project with kids. The pizza will puff in the oven, but you can trim the edges to define the shape of the shark once you move it to a cutting board. To serve it, set the scene by surrounding the shark with an underwater seascape made from veggies like arugula for seaweed and slabs of bell pepper cut into fish or other sea creatures.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Two 1/4-inch-thick strips red bell pepper
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 1 small slab green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- 1 extra-large pitted black olive
- 3 slices pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F with a rack positioned in the lower third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Dust your work surface with flour. Roll the dough out to a 13-by-10-inch rectangle. Use a pizza cutter to cut the body of the shark lengthwise in a long half-moon shape. Place the body on the prepared baking sheet. Using the remaining piece of dough, cut out a 2-inch-high top fin in the shape of a curved and rounded triangle, a 2-inch side fin in the shape of a triangle, and a 3-inch tail fin in a crescent shape. (If you have extra dough scrapes you can reform them and use them to make another small pizza.)
- Brush the shark body with the oil and place the top fin, side fin and tail fin on the shark. Pinch the dough gently to adhere the top and tail fins to the body.
- To make a mouth, place the 2 pepper strips towards the front of the shark body to make an open mouth. Sprinkle a teaspoon or two of the Parmesan inside the mouth to cover the dough. Cut the green pepper into tiny triangles for teeth and position them inside the mouth. Spread the pizza sauce over the rest of the shark but not in the mouth or on over the side fin. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining Parmesan over everything except the mouth and the side fin. Slice a round from the black olive for an eye and place it above the corner of the mouth. Cut a little slice from the remaining olive and place it over the eye like an eyebrow. Cut the pepperoni into triangles and fit them over the side fin to cover the dough.
- Bake the shark on the bottom rack until the dough is golden on the bottom and the cheese is melted, 15 to 17 minutes. Use a pizza cutter to trim the sides, if needed, to define the shape of the shark. Transfer to a cutting board to serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 574 |
| Total Fat | 25 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 62 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Cholesterol | 47 mg |
| Sodium | 1371 mg |