Our friend Vince Bianchini came to our offices today to try out a new recipe in our test kitchen
– Neapolitan pizza – and he brought his pizza maker all the way from Portland, OR. Vince has visited Italy 10+ times and once lived with his Nonna over the summer while in high school. During his many visits to Naples he became intrigued by watching the locals make Neapolitan pizza and it is something he has learned to master. Today he is sharing with us his recipe, a delicious pizza prepared with the freshest ingredients, and in 20 minutes or less. Win!
Ingredients:
1 Isernio’s Italian Chicken Sausage Roll
OR 1 Isernio’s Hot Italian Chicken Sausage Roll
½ cup Tomato sauce (Vince premade the sauce using his home grown tomatoes – try our tomato sauce recipe here: http://www.isernio.com/recipes/halfhourtomatosauce.aspx)
2 Mozzarella Fesca balls (about 2” in diameter)
¼ cup Shredded mozzarella cheese (low moisture, part skim)
1 sprig Basil
2 tbsp. Olive oil
3-4 cups Pizza Dough (Vince brought premade dough. try this recipe for dough http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/homemade_pizza/ or pick up a fresh made dough ball at your local bakery or retailer)
2 tbsp. Cornmeal (to sprinkle over the cutting board / paddle so that the dough rolls and doesn’t stick)
Let’s Cook!
1. Flatten the ball of dough with your hands on a work surface that is lightly covered with cornmeal. We used a plastic cutting board. From the center of the flattened ball of dough, press the dough outwards until it is approximately ½ inch thick. Rotate and spread though dough as much as you can without breaking it apart. Let the dough sit for 3-5 minutes.
2. Heat a nonstick 12″ skillet over medium heat. Slice roll open, and place in skillet, break up and crumble sausage with a flat wooden spoon. Cook sausage until it just loses its pinkness. Don’t overcook or brown sausage! Set aside.
3. Continue to spread the dough until you have the thickness and shape you desire.
4. Pour the olive oil across the surface of the dough, in a line or speckled manner
5. Pour the tomato sauce a spoonful at a time across the surface of the dough (no need to worry about mixing or “evening out” the oil and tomato sauce – it will happen in the oven)
6. Add slices of mozzarella fresca, shredded mozzarella, sliced basil leaves and top with sausage
7. If you have a pizza maker, follow the instructions included for proper cook time (Here is a link to a pizza oven similar to what was used in the test kitchen this afternoon: http://www.brevilleusa.com/crispy-crust-pizza-maker.html. Through an online search we found that similar pizza makers range between $60.00 and $300.00, so you can find something that suits your needs). If you are not using a pizza maker, place your pizza on a pizza stone or baking surface and bake at 450°F / 232°C for 15-18 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Enjoy!
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