Artichoke & Fontina Pizzas

• FAST
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. 16 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained
2. 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
3. 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
4. 2 garlic cloves, smashed
5. 2 thyme sprigs
6. 2 rosemary sprigs
7. 1 bay leaf
8. 1 small dried red pepper
9. Salt
10. Cornmeal, for dusting
11. Two 8-ounce balls of store-bought pizza dough
12. 2 1/2 cups coarsely grated imported Fontina cheese
13. Freshly ground pepper

1. In a medium bowl, combine the artichoke hearts with 1 cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and chile pepper. Season with salt. Cover and refrigerate the artichokes overnight or for up to 3 days.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°. Dust a work surface with cornmeal and roll out each piece of pizza dough to a 10-inch round. Transfer to baking sheets. Drizzle the rounds with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for about 8 minutes, until the dough looks dry and bubbles appear on the surface. Remove from the oven.
3. Chop the artichokes into bite-size pieces; drain them on paper towels. Sprinkle the Fontina over the pizzas; distribute the artichokes over the cheese. Season with salt and pepper; return the pizzas to the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the edges are browned. Serve hot.