Roasted Garlic & Sun-Dried Tomato Calzone

I watch way more Parks and Recreation reruns than I’d care to admit. Leslie Knope, Ben Wyatt, Ron Swanson, Jerry, Donna!!, and all the rest have become a part of my life. It’s kind of sad how much I quote these characters each day…but let’s be honest, I have no plans to stop. The show is awesome! So here’s why I’m mentioning this comedy on a food blog. One of the characters (Ben Wyatt, played by Adam Scott) is obsessed with calzones. It’s a running bit that I find hysterical (is anyone surprised I like the food jokes?). I probably identify with it because I’m as nerdy as Ben AND love calzones. Although he recently vowed never to eat another calzone again, I refuse to make the same promise.

That being said, I thought it would be a fun day to write about one of my calzone recipes. It only has a few ingredients, but each one brings a distinctive flavor to the table. The delicious dough gives you all the carby goodness we crave whenever we take a bite of pizza. It’s stuffed with creamy mozzarella (the more the merrier, right?) and an insanely tasty culinary delight known as roasted garlic. When garlic is roasted, it gets slightly sweet, a bit smokey, with hints of subtle garlic flavor. Out of this world. I could eat it with a spoon. To top it off, sun-dried tomatoes are tucked inside this dish.

The key is to use sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil. That delicious oil is infused with herbs and god knows what else. Probably crack cause it’s legit addictive. So in the words of Donna and Tom on Parks and Rec I say “treat yo self!”…to a calzone. :)

Pizza dough

1 head of garlic

10 sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 teaspoon oregano

1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slice the garlic in half and roast in a tin foil packet with a little oil/salt/pepper, for about 30 minutes. Reserve.

Divide pizza dough into 3 or more portions. Roll dough into circles (this make 3 big calzones or many smaller ones).

On half of the dough circle, layer with cheese, a few roasted garlic cloves, and some sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkle with oregano. Fold half of the dough over itself and press edges to seal. Repeat for remaining calzones. Brush with a beaten egg mixed with some of the sun-dried tomato oil.

Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree oven, or until lightly brown.

Serve and enjoy!