~ Cherry Tomato, Coppa and Arugula Pizza ~
Try this pizza on for a weeknight dinner. Homemade pizza is fun to make and with a little organization a breeze to pull together on a school night. The best part is fiddling with different ingredients depending on what’s in season and what’s in the refrigerator. We made this pizza the other night, making use of the abundance of cherry tomatoes we have at the moment, some coppa (which may be substituted with prosciutto or a dry salami) and handfuls of fresh arugula.
When I do have time on my hands, I will make a double portion of crust and sauce. The extras are portioned and frozen for easy use. Just pull them out of the freezer early in the morning or the night before you plan to use them to defrost in the refrigerator.
Cherry Tomato, Coppa and Arugula Pizza
Be sure not to overload the pizza with the toppings. The amounts below are approximations and will vary with the size of the crust. Makes 2 10-inch pizzas or 4 small pizzas.
2 uncooked 10-inch pizza crusts (recipe below)
2/3 cup tomato sauce (recipe below)
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
8 slices (3 ounces) coppa, torn in half
2 cups arugula
1 heaping cup small cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 500 F. Roll out crusts on parchment paper.
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over each crust, leaving one inch clear around the edge of the crust. Arrange one layer mozzarella over the sauce. Top with a layer of coppa. Scatter tomatoes and arugula over the coppa. Sprinkle with pecorino. Brush the exposed crust with olive oil.
Slide the parchment and pizzas onto a baking stone on lowest rack in oven. Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately as is or topped with additional fresh arugula and a drizzle of olive oil.
Tomato Sauce
Makes 1 cup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 15 ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, with juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes, until sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
Pizza Dough Recipe
Adapted from a recipe by Alice Waters. Makes 2 – 10 inch or 4 mini pizza crusts.
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup semolina flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups cold water
1/4 cup olive oil
Stir yeast and lukewarm water together in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and semolina. Mix well. Let sit until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Combine remaining flour and salt in another bowl. Add to yeast with cold water and olive oil. Mix well to form a dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead with hands until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Or use a mixer with a dough hook, and knead about 5 minutes. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat all sides with oil. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. Punch dough down, and let rise another 45 minutes. Divide dough into 2 equal disks (or 4 if you would like small pizzas.) Let rest 30 minutes before shaping. Lightly flour a work surface. Using your fingers or heels of your hands, stretch the disks out to 10-inch shapes.
Nice looking crust! I am curious about the use of semolina flour in it, might give it a try next time we make pizza. I tend to use the same recipe over and over and over, it’s good to change and try something new
your toppings are great too, I don’t like pizza that is too heavy on cheese, and arugula always makes it wonderful…
Thank you! You’ve inspired my next weeknight meal. 🙂 I have an abundance of basil right now and I hadn’t though about a pizza. (Duh!) The crust looks outstanding, and the coppa – nice touch!
This pizza looks seriously yummy! 🙂
We do pizza night every Friday as a way to slide into the weekend. Sometimes I get a little tired of it, but Larry”s face falls so I get out the pizza stone, etc…I am energized with new ideas from your recipe. Arugula sounds terrific!
wow this is the PIZZA I love!
This pizza crust looks amazing…chewy yet crispy. Very tasty toppings too.
This looks and sounds delicious!!! We love “make your own pizza night!”
arugula of course that will be tasty, why didn’t i think of that.. I even have that i the garden now.. this looks really good, perfect for the weekend.. c
That’s just pretty and perfect for any night! Love the toppings!
mmmm… this looks like a tasty recipe for homemade pizza. Your kids are lucky to have such a creative cook for a mom 🙂
I’ve missed so much here in my absence! I’m all in favor of a simple meal for a weeknight and pizza never disappoints.
looks delicious and you make it sound so simple…!. I just love anything you can cook with ‘what evers in the fridge’…..
Sound interesting to me. A weekend pizza treat would be necessitated by this health giving recipe.
This is a stunning pizza, and I couldn’t agree more with your philosophy. Sometimes my husband and I will make a “dump pizza” which is basically pizza topped with various things already in the fridge (they have to go together lol but usually there’s a lot of options around). I love making pizza at home, so much!
Making pizza is a great thing to do with kids. When my kids were little every Friday night we would make pizza. Now they both like to cook. It’s a great way to bond. You pizza looks fabulous. Nice & fresh.
Great looking pizza! I’ve recently fallen in love with making my own crust, especially since it’s so simple! Wonderful toppings… I love the combo of tomatoes and arugula, and coppa or prosciutto makes it that much better 🙂
I just love pizza. Yours look fabulous.
I think we’re making pizzas on Wednesday, but which one to make? This lovely thing, or your potato and broccoli rabe pizza? Damn, you’re making this decision hard! – S
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I want to try that dough, it looks really good on the picture!thanks for the recipe! greetings from Poland