Pesto PLT Skillet Pizza

 2nd Place Prize Winner for Mezzetta, "Picture Perfect Pizza"  Photo Contest, 2012 

 EXPLORED Photo, chosen by Flickr

Simply one of the best white pizzas ever, that is inspired by a delicious bruschetta that my Italian mother makes. This recipe produces a complex sauce by combining the sun-ripened dried tomato pesto, crushed garlic with gorgonzola cream. The playful mingling of cherry tomatoes with basil pesto gives this pizza it's distinct fresh taste, while the prosciutto and kalamata olives round out the symphony of complimentary flavors.

 Baking the pizza in an olive oil seasoned cast iron skillet develops an irresistibly crispy bottom crust with a chewy center you will love sinking your teeth into! Garnish with arugula for that peppery bite. This pizza is so rustic and divine, it will transport you to an old world-style Italian bistro with every delicious bite!

        CRUST:

• 1- 4 ounce package of Fleischmann's Pizza Crust Yeast    
• 1 3/4- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup of semolina flour, plus more for dusting
• 2/3 cups of very warm water (120-125 degrees)
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1/2 salt
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

        TOPPINGS:

• 2 cups of red cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 3 tablesspoons of Mezzetta Sun Ripened Tomato Pesto
• 2 tablespoons of Mezzetta Basil Pesto
• 1/2 cup of Mezzetta Kalamata Olives, chopped
• 3 ounces of Prosciutto, thinly sliced and torn
• 1/2 cup of shredded provolone cheese
• 2 cups of baby arugula
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

     
        PREPARATION:

  **Preheat oven to 500 degrees and place oven rack on the very bottom of the oven. **

FOR THE CRUST: Combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour, semolina flour, undissolved yeast,  sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Combine very warm water (120-125 degrees), and oil; add to flour mixture. Mix until well blended (about a minute). Gradually, add the remaining flour and form a ball (it will be a bit sticky). Transfer dough ball to a floured surface and knead until smooth (about 4 minutes.) Cut dough ball in half with a pastry cutter. With a rolling pin, roll out one of the dough halves into a circle the size of your cast iron skillet. Use a skillet that is very shallow and brush with a little bit of olive oil. (I used one that is meant for making crepes). Transfer the dough to the skillet and allow to rise again for about 5 minutes.

FOR THE TOPPINGS: Combine the Gorgonzola cheese and heavy cream and use that as your base. Drizzle the Sun Ripened Tomato pesto on the base. Cut cherry tomatoes in half and toss with basil pesto and scatter over top of dough along with the Kalamata olives. Scatter the shredded provolone cheese over top and bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and remove from skillet. It should slide out pretty easily. Garnish with arugula.

COOK'S NOTE:  You may use a store bought pizza dough to save yourself  some time. However, if you would like to add real depth to your crust by adding herbs, such as rosemary, basil, oregano, etc., I would suggest making your own pizza crust.  Also, I like to add crushed red pepper flakes to my dough for a hint of heat, so I prefer to make mine from scratch.

My 2nd Place Prize: Aprilia Scarebo Italian Scooter!!

Scacciata: Brooklyn Salumeria Pizza with a Rosemary Fra Diavolo Crust

A stuffed, Brooklyn Salumeria-style pizza

Growing up in New York State, you get used to certain aromas that waft through a neighborhood. On the corner of my old street in Brooklyn, was a century-old, Italian salumeria, where the barrels of different olives greeted you upon entering, and hanging overhead, were, what seemed like, hundreds of salami links, just hanging from the ceiling like air fresheners. The different aromas were very alluring and intoxicating.

If you are fortunate enough to have such a salumeria in your town, I suggest that this be the place you buy all your spices, olive oil, imported cheeses, prosciutto, grissini, etc.  If no such establishment exists in your town, it is well worth the drive to the next town.  Heck, I would walk  miles to get quality charcuterie!

This pizza I created, is a tribute to that old salumeria that I loved so much. The crust is crisp and rich with a garlic-olive oil, perfumed with fresh rosemary, and strikes just the right balance of heat from the chili pepper flakes. The smoked provolone cheese offers just the right amount of smokiness that compliments the salami, but the flavored crust is definitely the star of the show. And, as anyone in Brooklyn will tell you, it's all about the crust!

This is, definitely, a pizza with a strong conviction. The passions and flavors of the Italian salumeria are successfully translated through this rustic pie.

Rosemary & pepper flakes add depth to the crust

• CRUST:
• 1- 4 ounce package of Fleischmann's Pizza Crust Yeast    
• 1 3/4- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup of semolina flour, plus more for dusting
• 2/3 cups of very warm water (120-125 degrees)
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1/2 salt
• 2 tablespoons of finely-chopped rosemary
• 2 teaspoons of red chili pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 
  
• PIZZA TOPPING & FILLING:
• 20 large slices of Genoa salami
• 1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes pieces
• 1/4 cup of calamata olives
• 1/4 cup of capers
• 1 1/2 cups smoked provolone cheese (or slices)
• 1/2 cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil                           

Homemade sun-dried tomatoes with garlic

 PREPARATION:
 **Preheat oven to 550 degrees and place oven rack on the very bottom of the oven with pizza stone. **

FOR THE CRUST: Combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour, semolina flour, undissolved yeast, rosemary, red chili pepper flakes, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Combine very warm water (120-125 degrees), and oil; add to flour mixture. Mix until well blended (about a minute). Gradually, add the remaining flour and form a ball (it will be a bit sticky). Transfer dough ball to a floured surface and knead until smooth (about 4 minutes.) Cut dough ball in half with a pastry cutter. With a rolling pin, roll out one of the dough halves into a very thin 15x8 inch rectangle. Transfer that rectangle to a parchment-lined pizza peel.

Vine tomatoes from my garden ready for sun-roasting

FOR THE TOPPING & FILLING: Scatter 3/4 cup of the shredded smoked provolone cheese on the dough leaving a 1/2 inch border around the perimeter. Next, place the salami slices in rows on top of the cheese until all the cheese is covered (you may overlap.) Scatter remaining smoked provolone cheese on top of the salami slices. Roll out the other piece of dough (top crust) into a very thin rectangle of the same size. Place the dough over the top of the salami & cheese-topped dough and pinch along the perimeter to seal the dough. Set aside and allow to proof for 10 minutes. After proofing, drizzle the crust with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then, top with sun-dried tomato pieces and scatter the capers, olives and the grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Bake on pizza stone for 12 -15 minutes, until golden brown.



Nota bene-  The top crust may puff up a bit, but it will relax once it is removed from the oven and rests for a few minutes. If it puffs too much, just pierce with a knife to release the steam.  Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional).