It’s like a big pizza pie…that’s amore!
Tomato, Basil & Bocconcini Pizza
If I ran the world, pizza would have no calories and would be considered one of the major food groups. Unfortunately, that is not the case…sigh…
I was inspired by a recipe shared in the comments on my last post to try my hand at pizza on Friday night and the results were amazing (and this dough recipe was not victim to my usual dough challenges so much recommended). As a note for pizza lovers, I invested in a pizza stone and one of those wooden pizza paddles a few years ago, and it was one of the wisest things I have ever done for my kitchen…makes the whole process much easier, and I love the crispy crust that you get with the pizza stone.
When you’re ready to turn out the dough and start shaping it, sprinkle corn meal on the paddle, lay down your dough and then add all your toppings. The pizza stone should go into the oven as it pre-heats at 475 degrees.
I made my tomato sauce from finely diced onion & garlic cooked at a low heat in olive oil until soft and then I added about 1 cup of diced tomatoes in their own juice which I canned last year. I cooked the garlic, onions & tomatoes together and then let it cool.
Once the dough was shaped on the paddle, I spread it with tomato sauce, added quite a few handfuls of chopped up fresh basil (I just use scissors to roughly cut it up as I don’t like the way that single basil leaves brown & crisp when in the oven) and then topped everything with slices from a few medium sized balls of boccacini. Slide it from the paddle onto the heated stone and cook for about 10 minutes, pull out of the oven and then slide onto a cutting board for about 5 minutes to cool. Cut into slices and enjoy!
I have enjoyed many memorable pizza’s over the years. A few years ago, I happily spent 90 minutes loitering in the streets of Naples waiting to get into Da Michele, which many consider the birthplace of pizza – they only serve two types of pizza and it was definitely worth the wait. About twenty years ago, upon my return to Vancouver from six months travelling overland through Africa, we went straight from the airport to indulging in Popeye Pizza (feta, spinach, beef, olives) which I had been dreaming about it the whole time I was away; it was an amazing reunion with friends over a long-missed meal. And the first home-cooked meal I made for my SO was pizza: the dough was a miss but fortunately he decided to still stick around…
Do you have any favourite pizza memories – or am I the only one?
tea & tamarind 
About 20 years ago in Victoria, BC – living with roommates at the time – we thought we’d have a cocktail party. The hors d’oeuvre of choice – a variety of pizzas. BBQ, chicken, red onions and asiago / smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers / and finally a traditional margherita. I seem to recall I was the sous chef on this project. We couldn’t make them fast enough (think Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory except we weren’t the ones chowing them down). A hungry crew of rotating guests kept gobbling them up so we were making pizzas for about 3-4 hrs until we likely ran out of ingredients. The details start to fade here as there was a lot cooking, drinking and not so much eating. Our guests were full – the chefs full of something else.
I love the Lucy & Ethel image!!! I often feel that way when I am in the kitchen…even if its just only me 🙂 And very happy to be reminded of the “white” pizza – my mother makes a similar one to the smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers one, but adds sliced potatoes…definitely on the list for the next round!
Pizza used to be a once a week family gathering, so I always think of it as bonding time for me and my older siblings. They probably remember all the times I knocked over their drinks . . . 🙂
But did the drinks ever spill on the pizza…the all important question?
No particular memories, but I do enjoy a good pizza. My favourites have changed over the years. I seem to go through phases. I’m in a margharita phase now. With a little chili oil drizzled on top.
Agree that my taste in toppings has gotten simpler over the years…but still afraid of the chili oil…
Oh, it’s good.
If we expecting guests but are to lazy to spend a lot of time in the kitchen for preparation, we usually go for a simple crispy pizza dough topped with chicken, pear, paprika and cheese. I love this smell in the room and this really hot dish on the table.
I definitely need to try this combination – what type of cheese do you usually use? Does Lupo also enjoy this pizza?
I like feta and fresh basil or spinach. And you can never go wrong throwing on some bacon. One of my favourite variations is to use pesto instead of tomato sauce as a base. You don’t need much else, just something sweet and mild, because it has so much flavour.
The guys here like my creations but occasionally must order the meat lovers special from the local pizzaria.
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