Sausage Mushroom Pizza with Carmelized Onions & Goat Cheese

Contrary to what this lousy photo would lead you to believe, this was an absolutely fantastic pizza. I actually shot this picture of the one remaining slice the next day, since the sun had set by the time we ate and the pictures came out dark. This one isn't much better, but I loved this pizza and wanted to share it anyways.

I probably should be calling this Carmelized Onion-Goat Cheese Pizza with Sausage and Mushrooms, because the onions and cheese are definitely the primary flavors, which is fine with me! Sage (who's favorite pizza toppings are mushrooms and sausage) wasn't quite as thrilled- because as he puts it: he likes goat cheese, he does not love goat cheese. So of course, he liked this, but did not love it. Beckett however really enjoyed it. I have to admit, it makes me happy to see my child eating a pizza with carmelized onions and goat cheese on a homemade whole wheat crust. When I was a kid, we either had delivery from somewhere like Dominoes or Dinos, or probably more often, those frozen Totino's Party Pizzas, which I remember was like eating like a cardboard frisbee. Hopefully, my kid will never had to eat one of those, or if he does at a friend's house, he will think they are dreadful compared to Mom's homemade ones.

2 tbsp butter
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 pizza dough ball (I used half of this recipe and froze the other half)
1/2 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1/4 cup shredded mozarella cheese (I used an Italian blend)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 link turkey sweet Italian sausage
2 oz. goat cheese

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Saute onions for 25-30 minutes or until beginning to carmelize. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out pizza dough on lightly floured surface, and transfer to pizza pan or baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove crust from oven, top with thin layer of tomato paste, shredded cheese and mushrooms.

Open casing of sausage at one end, and carefully pinch the ground meat in very small pieces evenly over other toppings. (If you prefer to have the sausage in slices, it will need to be fully cook it first.) Top with onions and crumbled goat cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes or until sausage is cooked through.