START TO FINISH: 30 minutes
MAKES: Two 10-inch pizzas
For efficiency, roast the eggplant once the oven has come to temperature but while the pizza steel or stone is still heating. Look for za’atar, a Middle Eastern sesame, herb and spice blend, in well-stocked grocery stores and spice shops.
12-ounce eggplant, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1½ cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large shallot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch wedges
6 medium garlic cloves, minced
Za’atar seasoning
Kosher salt
Semolina flour, for dusting the pizza peel
2 pizza dough rounds (see here)
4 ounces feta cheese, finely crumbled (1 cup)
2 tablespoons pine nuts
At least 1 hour before baking, heat oven to 550°F (or 500°F if that’s your oven’s maximum temperature), with a baking steel or stone on the upper-middle rack. Place a second rack in the lower-middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Arrange the eggplant slices in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Brush both sides with oil, using all of the oil. Roast on the lower-middle rack until soft and golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes (12 minutes in a 500°F oven). Let cool slightly, then chop the eggplant into 1-inch pieces. In a medium bowl, combine the eggplant, tomatoes, shallot, garlic, 2 tablespoons za’atar and 1 teaspoon salt.
Dust a baking peel, inverted baking sheet or rimless cookie sheet with semolina. Transfer the first dough round to the peel and, if needed, reshape into a 10-inch circle. Spread half of the eggplant mixture evenly over it, leaving a ½-inch border at the edge. Sprinkle with half the feta and 1 tablespoon of pine nuts. Bake until the crust is well browned, 7 to 10 minutes (9 to 12 minutes in a 500°F oven).
Using the peel, transfer the pizza to a wire rack. Let cool for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, repeat with the second dough round and remaining ingredients.