Girls' Night

I have the perfect cure for the mid-week doldrums: whip up a yummy dinner, invite a friend over, add a bottle of wine, and "Voila!" An otherwise humdrum Wednesday evening turns into Girls' Night, celebrated in my house every week since last summer. Usually it's an opportunity to experiment with a new recipe, but last night's menu included an oldie, but goodie.

Roasted Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza

olive oil, for baking sheet and drizzling

flour, for dusting surface

1 pound store-bought pizza dough

8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated (about 2 cups)

6 cups roasted vegetables*

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Brush a large baking sheet (preferably rimless) with oil, or line with parchment paper, if desired, for easy cleanup.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch dough into a 12-by-16 inch oval (or as large as will fit on baking sheet); transfer to sheet. Or, if you're like me, just buy a pre-made crust.

3. Sprinkle dough with half the mozzarella. Scatter vegetables on top, and dollop with ricotta; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake until bubbling and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

*Roasted Vegetables

1 pound butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound red new potatoes, well-scrubbed and quartered

1 medium red onion, peeled and quartered

1/2 pound carrots, halved lengthwise, if thick, and cut into 1-inch lengths

2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread rimmed baking sheet with vegetables and garlic, toss with oil, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

2. Roast until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, 40 to 50 minutes, tossing them halfway through.

Pretty delicious, and probably the last time I'll make this particular pizza for awhile, what with winter finally winding down and all.

Which made it all the more enjoyable.

Even Frances seemed pretty content to hang with the girls.