CASUAL AND HANDHELD, PIZZA IS THE ULTIMATE ITALIAN SNACK. One of the most crowd-pleasing things you can serve (grown-ups and children alike go crazy for it), pizza is an opportunity to get creative with your favorite ingredients. The recipes here are a few of my favorite combinations.
BASIC PIZZA DOUGH
PIZZA MARGHERITA
SQUASH BLOSSOM AND RICOTTA FRESCA PIZZA
BLACK OLIVE, PROSCIUTTO, AND ARUGULA PIZZA
ITALIAN BEER
PIZZA WITH HEIRLOOM TOMATOES, SWANKY EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, AND THE FANCIEST OF SALTS
PEACH, MASCARPONE, AND HONEY PIZZA
BASIC PIZZA DOUGH The ultimate simple snack, pizza has become a most American form of sustenance. Almost everyone loves pizza, and I’m no exception. There are those who’ve devoted themselves to defining and duplicating a great crust—armed with noncontact thermometers, water analysis from Naples, and a desire to crack the code. I tend to think more about the toppings: the best mozzarella I can get, the most beautiful tomatoes, an extra-special olive oil.
This is the nonobsessive pizza dough I make at home—kids underfoot, no eye on the clock, and no theories on rise times. And you know what? It’s always a hit.
1 package active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (about 105°F)
1 tablespoon salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4¼ cups all-purpose flour
MAKES TWO 12-INCH PIZZAS
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the yeast with the warm water. Add the salt and the olive oil, and stir to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Using the paddle attachment, slowly add half of the flour to the yeast mixture. When they are well combined, add the rest of the flour. With the mixer now set to medium (and refitted with a dough hook if you have one), continue mixing until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. Mix for 2 more minutes, until the dough is soft and pliable. Turn it out onto a lightly floured board and knead it gently with your hands for a few minutes.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise for 30 to 40 minutes, while you clean up and prepare your toppings. The risen dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 weeks. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
- Turn out the dough onto a floured board, then cut it in half. Press and stretch the dough to form two 12-inch rounds (or two 12 × 6-inch rectangles if you’re using cookie sheets rather than pizza pans).
PIZZA MARGHERITA
Famously named for Queen Margherita, this iconic pizza was designed to represent the colors in the Italian flag: red, white, and green. These colors also happen to reflect the seminal Italian ingredients: tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Preheat the oven and the pans for at least 30 minutes to get them both to the right temperature.
Basic Pizza Dough
2 cups Simple Red Sauce (recipe follows)
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced (about 12 slices)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
MAKES TWO 12-INCH PIZZAS
- Preheat the oven and two pizza pans or pizza stones to 450°F.
- While the pans are preheating, stretch the pizza dough.
- Carefully transfer the dough to the heated pans. Spread the Simple Red Sauce over the dough, and then arrange the slices of mozzarella over the sauce. Drizzle the olive oil over the pizzas and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Carefully transfer the heated pans back to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is crispy, 15 to 18 minutes.
- Remove the pans from the oven and scatter the basil over the pizzas before slicing and serving.
SIMPLE RED SAUCE
MAKES 2 CUPS
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 additional tablespoons
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice. Using kitchen shears or a knife, cut the whole tomatoes into small pieces. Add salt and pepper and cook until the sauce is thickened and reduced by a third, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Re-season with salt and pepper to taste, and refresh by stirring in a tablespoon or two of olive oil.
GRILLING PIZZA Midsummer heat means that preheating an oven to its upper ranges has next to no appeal. The solution is a backyard pizza on the grill. It takes practice, but the results can be superior to those achieved with a kitchen oven. You’ll need to have all of your toppings prepared and at hand. Your grill must be clean and very hot, and you will need tongs. Most important, you will need to get a hot charcoal fire going and to maintain its heat by adding more charcoal if necessary. Lump charcoal, started in a chimney starter, should be added to the side of the fire, not under the main cooking area.
Here’s what to do:
After stretching your dough as thin as possible on sheet pans, put it to the side. Holding a ball of paper towel in your tongs, rub oil on your very hot grill. Transfer the stretched dough directly onto the grill and cook for a minute or two. Turn the dough over with the tongs, and then arrange your toppings on the dough. Close the lid on the grill and cook until the crust has bubbled and the cheese has melted. Use a baker’s peel to lift the pizza off the grill, or use tongs to pull it onto a serving plate.
SQUASH BLOSSOM AND RICOTTA FRESCA PIZZA
An ethereal combination of fresh flavors, this makes a downright pretty pizza. Squash blossoms, available only in the early summer, are as bright and sunny as a July day. Break out the bubbly and celebrate.
Basic Pizza Dough
2 cups fresh ricotta
16 fresh squash blossoms
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
MAKES TWO 12-INCH PIZZAS
- Preheat the oven and two pizza pans or pizza stones to 450°F.
- While the pans are preheating, stretch the pizza dough.
- Carefully transfer the dough to the heated pans. Spread the ricotta over the dough. Arrange the squash blossoms on top, and then drizzle with olive oil. Season liberally with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Carefully transfer the heated pans back to the oven and bake until the squash blossoms have crisped at the edges and the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust crispy, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
BLACK OLIVE, PROSCIUTTO, AND ARUGULA PIZZA
I love a pizza topped with arugula not only because it combines the salad portion of a meal with the main course but also because of the peppery bite and leafy texture that it brings to the experience. I scatter black olives over this for a shock of color and for their silky saltiness.
Basic Pizza Dough
4 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
8 slices prosciutto di Parma
Extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup loosely packed baby arugula leaves
½ cup pitted black cured olives, such as Gaetas
MAKES TWO 12-INCH PIZZAS
- Preheat the oven and two pizza pans or pizza stones to 450°F.
- While the pans are preheating, stretch the pizza dough.
- Carefully transfer the dough to the heated pans. Arrange the mozzarella slices over the dough, then follow with the prosciutto slices. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
- Carefully transfer the heated pans back to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is crisp, 15 to 18 minutes.
- Remove the pizzas from the oven and immediately scatter the baby arugula and black olives over the top. Drizzle again with a fragrant extra-virgin olive oil, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Slice and serve.
ITALIAN BEER
In the land of Barolos and Chiantis, beer is easily overlooked. Serve a Peroni or a Moretti along with your pizza to give the classic American combination of pizza and beer just a glimmer of a Roman afternoon.
PIZZA WITH HEIRLOOM TOMATOES, SWANKY EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, AND THE FANCIEST OF SALTS
Think of this as a large bruschetta with the freshest of summer tomatoes as a topping. It should be a showcase for the beauty of the season, with yellow, orange, green, and red tomatoes all vying for attention. Only best-quality ingredients need apply.
Basic Pizza Dough
10 assorted heirloom tomatoes, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved with a vegetable peeler
2 tablespoons pine nuts
MAKES TWO 12-INCH PIZZAS
- Preheat the oven and two pizza pans or pizza stones to 450°F.
- While the pans are preheating, stretch the pizza dough.
- Carefully transfer the dough to the heated pans. Arrange the tomato slices over the dough, season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the fresh oregano. Drizzle with the olive oil.
- Carefully transfer the hot pans back to the oven and bake until the tomatoes are roasted and slightly shrunken, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the pizzas with the shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and cook for 5 minutes more.
- Sprinkle the pizzas with the remaining 1 teaspoon fresh oregano and the pine nuts. Slice and serve.
SEA SALT Produced in every country with a coast, sea salt is harvested from great salt flats, either by hand or by machine, and then dried in the sun. In an array of colors and textures, the salts from each region have their own distinctive character. There’s orange salt from Hawaii, gray salt from Brittany, and the hand-harvested salts of Sicily. The smooth grains and subtle flavor bring out the best in the local fare. Like excellent vinegar, hand-harvested sea salt is a splurge-worthy pantry item, taking a plain tomato to new heights.
PEACH, MASCARPONE, AND HONEY PIZZA
Sweet pizza seems to be a well-kept secret—people are always surprised by it. Italians top their pizzas with pears and Parmigiano-Reggiano, or even figs. For me, the most important aspect of pizza topped with sweet fruit is the black pepper that gives an edge to the sweetness.
Basic Pizza Dough
8 ounces mascarpone
4 extra-ripe summer peaches, cut into thin wedges
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons raisins
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup honey
MAKES TWO 12-INCH PIZZAS
- Preheat the oven and two pizza pans or pizza stones to 450°F.
- While the pans are preheating, stretch the pizza dough.
- Carefully transfer the dough to the heated pans. Using a rubber spatula, drop the mascarpone in small clumps over the dough. Arrange the peach wedges over the dough, sprinkle with the pine nuts and raisins, and season with sea salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
- Carefully transfer the hot pans back to the oven and bake until the mascarpone is molten and the peaches appear roasted and slightly shrunken, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the pizzas from the oven and let them cool for 3 to 4 minutes. Then transfer them to serving platters, and drizzle with the honey. (Use a spoon to dip and drip the honey over the pizza rather than pouring it.) Slice and serve.
