Extra Virgin (30 page)

TOMATO, ANCHOVY, AND CAPER PIZZA

PIZZA NAPOLETANA

SERVES 4

G:
This homage to Naples, where pizza was born, gets its salty, bold kick from anchovies and capers. It’s my father’s absolute favorite. This recipe includes oregano, which is a seasoning I’m not wild about, so if you’re like me, you can leave it off.

Pizza Dough
, formed into 4 (13-inch) discs, at room temperature

1 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes (pelati), puréed in a blender

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

16 anchovy fillets, slivered

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed

Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500ºF for 1 hour before baking. (Or preheat a wood-fired pizza oven to very hot, 4 hours before baking.)

Using a spoon, spread one-fourth of the puréed tomatoes on 1 disc of dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with one-fourth of the anchovies, oregano, and capers.

Gently place the pizza on the pizza stone and bake for about 5 minutes, until golden with slight signs of charring. (If using a wood-fired oven, gently place the pizza on the oven floor, and bake for 3 minutes, or until golden and crisp.)

Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Drizzle with the olive oil, slice, and serve immediately.

Repeat with the remaining 3 pizza discs.

TOMATO, MOZZARELLA, AND BASIL PIZZA

PIZZA MARGHERITA

SERVES 4

D:
I love that pizza Margherita was developed by a Neapolitan cook in the nineteenth century to serve his queen. And impress her it did, since he slyly and simply highlighted the colors of the Italian flag in the pizza: red (tomatoes), white (mozzarella), and green (basil)! This is the prototype pizza, the go- to classic that kids love. When you say “pizza” in Gabriele’s homeland, this is what comes to mind, and rightly so. With fresh ingredients, it practically transports you to Italy.

1 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes (pelati)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pizza Dough
, formed into 4 (13-inch) discs, at room temperature

½ pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 handful fresh basil leaves

Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500ºF for 1 hour before baking. (Or preheat a wood-fired pizza oven to very hot, 4 hours before baking.)

In a food processor, purée the tomatoes until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Using a spoon, spread one-fourth of the tomato sauce on 1 disc of dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Sprinkle with one-fourth of the mozzarella.

Gently place the pizza on the pizza stone and bake for about 5 minutes, until golden with slight signs of charring. (If using a wood-fired oven, gently place the pizza on the oven floor, and bake for 3 minutes, or until golden and crisp.)

Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Slice, garnish with basil and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve immediately.

Repeat with the remaining 3 pizza discs.

BUFFALO MOZZARELLA AND HEIRLOOM TOMATO PIZZA

MOZZARELLA DI BUFALA E POMODORI

SERVES 4

D:
Tomato sauce on pizza can taste great, and using fresh tomato slices can be spectacular. Paired with milky fresh buffalo mozzarella, this pizza is closer to the pleasure one gets from a bruschetta. A pizza like this is proof that when done right, pizza is hardly something to feel guilty about!

14 ounces buffalo mozzarella cheese, shredded

Pizza Dough
, formed into 4 (13-inch) discs, at room temperature

2 heirloom tomatoes, cut into 20 to 24 (¼-inch-thick) slices

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup fresh basil leaves

Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500ºF for 1 hour before baking. (Or preheat a wood-fired pizza oven to very hot, 4 hours before baking.)

Sprinkle one-fourth of the mozzarella on 1 disc of dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Top with 5 to 6 tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Gently place the pizza on the pizza stone and bake for about 5 minutes, until golden with slight signs of charring. (If using a wood-fired oven, gently place the pizza on the oven floor, and bake for 3 minutes, or until golden and crisp.)

Remove the pizza from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and garnish with a few basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Slice and serve immediately.

Repeat with the remaining 3 pizza discs.

BREAKFAST PIZZA

PIZZA A COLAZIONE

(
pictured here
)

SERVES 4

D:
One day friends were coming over for lunch, so we got the wood-fired pizza oven started. Earlier that day, when we were still in our bathrobes, you had this idea.

G:
The oven was hot, we were hungry, we had fresh eggs from our chickens, and the pizza dough was already made. So the thought of a breakfast pizza materialized.

D:
The concept is simple and inspired: eggs and bacon—in this case, pancetta—but on a tomato-and-cheese pizza. It was so delicious.

G:
It’s so much fun to crack that egg over the pizza and let the heat of the oven cook it. It works just as well in a kitchen oven. So the next time a weekend rolls around, skip the same-old breakfast, and try this variation.

1 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes (pelati)

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ pound pancetta, diced medium

Pizza Dough
, formed into 4 (13-inch) discs, at room temperature

½ pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

4 large eggs

1 handful fresh basil leaves

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500ºF for 1 hour before baking. (Or preheat a wood-fired pizza oven to very hot, 4 hours before baking.)

In a food processor, purée the tomatoes until smooth. Season with salt to taste.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and pancetta over medium heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until crisp.

Using a spoon, spread one-fourth of the puréed tomatoes on 1 disc of dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Sprinkle one-fourth of the mozzarella on top.

Gently place the pizza on the pizza stone and bake for about 5 minutes, until golden with slight signs of charring. (If using a wood-fired oven, gently place the pizza on the oven floor, and bake for 3 minutes, or until golden and crisp.)

Remove the pizza from the oven and break an egg over the center of the pizza. Top with one-fourth of the cooked pancetta, return the pizza to the oven, and bake another 3 to 4 minutes (1 to 2 minutes if using a wood-fired oven), until the egg is cooked.

Remove the pizza from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and top with one-fourth of the basil. Serve immediately. Repeat with the remaining 3 pizza discs.

White Pizza with Prosciutto and Arugula

WHITE PIZZA
with prosciutto and arugula

PIZZA BIANCA CON PROSCIUTTO E RUCOLA

SERVES 4

D:
Who said pizza had to have tomatoes? This alternative might very well turn you into a pizza bianca fan. The key is that you’re using prosciutto and fresh arugula as a topping untouched by oven heat. Once the cheese is melted, pull it out of the oven, add the cured meat and peppery arugula, and enjoy, perhaps with a cold one!

½ pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

Pizza Dough
, formed into 4 (13-inch) discs, at room temperature

¹⁄³ pound prosciutto, thinly sliced

4 handfuls arugula

Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500ºF for 1 hour before baking. (Or preheat a wood-fired pizza oven to very hot, 4 hours before baking.)

Sprinkle one-fourth of the cheese on 1 disc of dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Gently place the pizza on the pizza stone and bake for about 5 minutes, until golden with slight signs of charring. (If using a wood-fired oven, gently place the pizza on the oven floor, and bake for 3 minutes, or until golden and crisp.)

Remove the pizza from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and top with one-fourth of the prosciutto and 1 handful of the arugula. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Slice and serve immediately.

Repeat with the remaining 3 pizza discs.

Raw Beef Pizza

RAW BEEF PIZZA

PIZZA AL CARPACCIO

SERVES 4

G:
When I was asked to develop a dish to serve at the Meatopia Festival in New York, the thought of going bold with beef and pizza led to this inspiration. We used eye of round from certified Piedmontese steer and, from a truck with a mounted pizza oven, we presented carpaccio on baked pizza dough. With a thin, nicely charred crust, fresh rosemary, nutty arugula, and quality beef with a squeeze of lemon, it’s out-of-this-world good! If you feel like splurging—and we couldn’t that day, since we had to serve 3,000 people—use filet mignon.