Tag: pizza

Appetizers, Main Course, Pizza

Pizza with Roasted Cauliflower, Calabrian Chilies and Green Olive Tapenade

by Lynda Balslev9 Comments on Pizza with Roasted Cauliflower, Calabrian Chilies and Green Olive Tapenade

I’ll get right to the point. The star of this pizza is the tapenade – a smashing combination of briny green olives, toasted almonds, the rich oily heat of Calabrian chili and magical umami-rich anchovies. Sprinkled over roasted cauliflower, fresh peppers and creamy mozzarella, this is one fresh and feisty pizza. The only problem with the tapenade is that it’s so good, you might find yourself gobbling spoonfuls straight from the bowl, smearing it on a piece of bread, or swiping the prepped cauliflower through it before you have a chance to assemble the pizza, so I recommend that you make a double or triple batch. This way, you can have your nibbles and eat your pizza, too.  Continue reading Pizza with Roasted Cauliflower and Green Olive Tapenade

Main Course, Pizza

Pizza Night: Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza

by Lynda Balslev25 Comments on Pizza Night: Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza
Pizza Night: Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza

~ Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza ~

As the saying goes, the shoemaker’s children go barefoot. In my case, they eat pizza. I write about food and develop recipes, yet sometimes I am working so hard on a deadline I don’t have a dinner to feed my family. After a day spent in the kitchen developing a dessert, I would be remiss to feed chocolate cake to the kids for supper. I might spend an afternoon tweaking dressings, sauces and marinades, but I can not feed my family a bowl of vinaigrette. Or I may not make it to the kitchen at all, spending an entire day at the computer writing and researching recipes, only to realize that I never went to the store and the refrigerator remains neglected. As irony would have it, on days like these, once it’s dinnertime I can’t muster any excitement to make much of anything. So I make pizza.

Homemade pizza pleases everyone and is easy to make with a minimum of ingredients. When I make dough for the crust, I double the portion to freeze for emergency pizza nights. If you have a favorite store-bought crust, that’s fine too – just be sure to buy extra and pop it into the freezer. That way when Sunday night rolls around and everyone is asking what’s for dinner, the children (and adults) eat pizza.

Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza

The combination of salty prosciutto, creamy mozzarella and fresh arugula makes this pizza very popular in our home. 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 1 large rectangular pizza or 2 10-inch pizzas.

Pizza crust (recipe below)
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2  cup tomato sauce (recipe below)
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, shredded
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes, or to taste
8 slices (3 ounces) prosciutto
4 cups fresh arugula
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano cheese

Preheat oven to 500 F. Using your hands, stretch crust to desired shape and place on parchment paper. Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil and garlic clove in a small bowl. Lightly brush crust with oil. Smear a thin layer of tomato sauce over the crust, leaving one inch clear around the edges. Scatter a layer of mozzarella over the sauce. Sprinkle with chili flakes. Top with a layer of prosciutto. Sprinkle Parmesan over the pizza. Brush the exposed edges with a little more olive oil.
Slide the parchment and pizzas onto a baking stone on lowest rack in oven. Bake until crust is beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Slide pizza out of the oven and spread arugula over the pizza. It will look like a lot, but will cook down. Return to oven and bake until crust is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, drizzled with olive oil.

Tomato Sauce
Makes 1 cup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 15-ounce can crushed Italian plum tomatoes
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, until sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning.

Pizza Dough Recipe
Adapted from a recipe by Alice Waters. Makes 2 – 10 inch 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. 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.

Pizza

Sweet Pepper, Salami and Basil Pizza

by Lynda Balslev19 Comments on Sweet Pepper, Salami and Basil Pizza

It’s pizza night tonight – no take out necessary. I’ve got dough defrosting in the refrigerator from my last pizza night. All that’s needed are a few ingredients from the refrigerator, and it’s as simple as that. The next time you make homemade pizza, be sure to make extra dough to freeze. Then when it’s suddenly pizza night, you can whip one up as easy as ….

Sweet Pepper, Salami and Basil Pizza

Pizza dough for one extra-large pizza (recipe below)

1/2 cup  tomato sauce (recipe below)
3 ounces salami or pepperoni
1 cup thinly sliced sweet peppers
1 cup basil leaves, torn in half
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 500 F. Stretch out pizza dough in a large rectangular shape on parchment paper.
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over crust, leaving one inch clear around the edge of the crust. Arrange salami over pizza. Scatter peppers and basil over the salami. Sprinkle with cheese. Brush the exposed crust with olive oil.
Slide the parchment and pizza onto a baking stone on lowest rack in oven. Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately.

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 1 extra large or 2 medium 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 desired shape.

Appetizers, Breads, Pasta, Rice, Grains, Pizza

Cherry Tomato, Coppa and Arugula Pizza

by Lynda Balslev22 Comments on Cherry Tomato, Coppa and Arugula Pizza

~ 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.

Appetizers, Breads, Pasta, Rice, Grains, Grilling, Pizza, Vegetarian

Asparagus and Prosciutto Pizza

by Lynda Balslev7 Comments on Asparagus and Prosciutto Pizza
Asparagus and Prosciutto Pizza

Asparagus Prosciutto Pizza 1

Simplicity rules with this delicious pizza. Asparagus, prosciutto and cheese are all that’s needed to create a salty, crispy, savory pizza. Cook the pizza on a hot pizza stone in the oven, or, better yet in the summer heat, cook it on the grill. To grill the pizza, place the stretched dough on an oiled grill grate. Grill briefly over medium fire, then flip the crust with a spatula or tongs. Add the toppings, cover the grill and cook until the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Asparagus and Prosciutto Pizza

Makes 2 small pizzas or 1 large pizza
Pizza dough (see below)

8 ounces buffalo mozzarella, drained, sliced
4 ounces prosciutto slices
Thin asparagus (if using thick asparagus, slice in half lengthwise)
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
Pepper

Assemble pizzas:
Place pizza crust on parchment paper. Lightly brush pizza crusts with olive oil. Arrange one layer mozzarella cheese over crusts. Top with layer of prosciutto. Arrange asparagus spears over prosciutto. Top with grated cheese. Slide crusts onto pizza stone (or on tray on lowest rack) in preheated 475 F. oven. Cook until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

For the Pizza Dough:

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″ shapes.

Main Course, Pizza, Vegetarian

Broccoli Rabe, Potato and Rosemary Pizza

by Lynda Balslev16 Comments on Broccoli Rabe, Potato and Rosemary Pizza

Rapini Pizza

A traditional white pizza has no tomato sauce. What this white pizza recipe does have is a delectable combination of broccoli rabe, potato, rosemary and garlic. The dough gets a rub down with olive oil and garlic for a gentle infusion of flavor before the toppings are added and baked. The result? A delicious pizza. Apparently, the editors at Food52 agree. They chose my recipe for Broccoli Rabe, Potato and Rosemary Pizza as a finalist in their Best Pizza contest, and after members of the Food52 community voted, it won first place! You can watch Food52 founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, along with Adam Kuban, Managing Editor of Serious Eats and founder of the blog Slice, make and taste the pizza here. Warning: It might make you hungry.

Broccoli Rabe, Potato and Rosemary Pizza

The dough is lightly brushed with olive oil and rubbed with crushed garlic before the toppings are added, taking a cue from bruschetta. The pizza dough is a recipe I have used and tweaked from Alice Waters over the years. Feel free to use your own favorite dough recipe. Makes 2 (10-inch) or 4 mini-pizzas.

2 uncooked pizza crusts (recipe below)

1 large yukon gold potato, very thinly sliced
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound broccoli rabe, washed, ends trimmed
1 large garlic clove, minced, plus 2 garlic cloves lightly smashed but still intact
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Rosemary sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Arrange potatoes in one layer on a baking tray. Bake until edges begin to turn golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Increase oven temperature to 475 F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli rabe and blanch 30 seconds; drain. Plunge broccoli rabe into a bowl of ice water. Cool and drain again. Lay in one layer on a kitchen towel to thoroughly dry. Cut in 2″ pieces.
Heat one tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté briefly, 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté one minute. Remove from heat. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

Assemble pizzas:
Lightly brush pizza crusts with olive oil. Rub all over with smashed garlic cloves.
Arrange one layer mozzarella cheese over crusts. Top with one layer of potatoes and broccoli rabe. Sprinkle one tablespoon rosemary over each crust. Top with grated Pecorino cheese.
Bake on pizza stone or on tray on lowest rack in oven until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes.
Before serving, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh rosemary leaves and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

Pizza Dough Recipe:

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.

Pizza, Vegetarian

Potato, Rosemary and Garlic Pizza

by Lynda Balslev11 Comments on Potato, Rosemary and Garlic Pizza

Potato Rosemary Pizza

I still have not located my pizza stone, but that’s not deterring me from making more pizza. Unlike my last pizza which I made in a skillet, this pizza was baked in a hot oven. It features potatoes, rosemary and garlic, a flavor triumvarate held in high esteem in our home.  Since there is no tomato sauce it is classified as a white pizza. I prefer to call it heaven.

Potato Rosemary Garlic Pizza

makes 2 (10-inch) pizzas

2 uncooked pizza crusts (recipe below)
1 large Yukon Gold potato, very thinly sliced
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, slightly smashed but still intact
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Rosemary sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 F. Toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Arrange potatoes in one layer on a baking tray. Bake in oven until edges begin to turn golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Increase oven temperature to 475 F.

Assemble pizzas: Lightly brush pizza crusts with olive oil. Rub all over with smashed garlic cloves. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Arrange one layer mozzarella cheese over crusts. Top with one layer of potatoes. Sprinkle with one tablespoon rosemary leaves over each crust. Top with grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Bake on pizza stone or on a tray on lowest rack in oven until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh rosemary leaves and drizzle with more olive oil.

For the Pizza Dough:

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 into 10-inch shapes.