Crispy Veggie Wrap Pizza

Wrap pizza is one of those weeknight ideas that somehow never gets old. I like it because the bread does the heavy lifting. A low carb wrap goes straight onto the tray and crisps up in the oven, so you get that crackly base without having to make dough or wait for it to rise. It is the kind of lunch you can throw together while the kettle is still warm.

The vegetables do most of the talking here. Thinly sliced red onion goes sweet and soft in the heat, red capsicum adds a bit of crunch at the edges, and button mushrooms release their juices and turn deeply savoury. Slice everything thinly and the toppings cook through in the same ten or twelve minutes the base needs. If the slices are thick, the mushrooms stay pale and rubbery, so a little patience with the knife pays off.

A word on the sauce. Passata or tomato paste with no added salt gives you tomato flavour without making the whole thing taste like a takeaway box. Spread it thinly. A thick layer will soak into the wrap and stop it getting crisp underneath. Reduced fat cheddar melts fine as long as you grate it fine and scatter it evenly, so it does not all pool in one corner.

Keep the baby spinach off the tray until the very end. Scattering it over the hot pizza wilts it just enough to be tender while it stays bright green and fresh tasting. If you bake it, it turns dark and rather sad.

If you have leftovers, which is rare in my kitchen, wrap the slices in baking paper and keep them in the fridge for a day. Reheat them in a dry pan or the oven rather than the microwave, which makes the base soft. You can also make the toppings ahead. Slice the onion, capsicum and mushrooms, keep them in a container, and the assembly takes about two minutes when you come home hungry.

For a fuller plate, I like it next to a bowl of Smoky Lentil Soup with Spinach and Dates on a cold day, or a simple Golden Mushroom Pizza with Arugula Ricotta if you want to lean into the mushrooms. A crisp green salad with a squeeze of lemon also works well, since the sharpness cuts through the melted cheese.

The best thing about this recipe is how forgiving it is. Swap what is in the fridge, keep the thin layers, and let the oven do the rest.