Pizza: Because it is One of My Favorite Things

I really had no intention of doing back to back salame posts, I want that to be made clear from the get go. It just seems that's how things work out sometimes. Last week my energy was spent canning 50ish lbs. of tomatoes as well as some corn salsa, so when it came time to cook meals my mojo was lacking. Really I was having a strong longing for lying on the couch and pretending I didn't exist anymore. But the farmer's market had a great deal on all those tomatoes, and in the end I just couldn't pass on it. I pushed through, persevered, and now I am done canning tomatoes for the year (minus salsa). If you would like to send me a trophy or a masseuse I can e-mail you my address.

The point is that meals got shifted around and pushed into this week. I ended up making another dish using some of the salame that I won from Columbus Salame before one of the other meals I had planned that used a recipe I've been knocking around my head for awhile now. So that other recipe will just have to wait for another day or two because today I want to talk a little more about pizza.

I have mentioned my love of pizza on more than one occasion so it should come as no surprise that I came up with a new pizza using some of my salame stash. The kids were not complaining as pizza night is one of their favorite nights too. When it comes to pizza night (which FYI is no particular night of the week, or even once a week), I always make a simple cheese pizza for the kids and then a fun pizza for the adults which even my tween eats if she's feeling adventurous. On the adult pizza the sky is the limit as far as creativity goes, and I very rarely repeat myself.

This version was a white pizza (no sauce) because lately this baby boy in my belly has had strong opinions about my love of all things tomato. Yes, I know I started out by saying I canned 50 lbs. of tomatoes last week. I'm hoping to sway the little guy's opinion at some point. I topped the dough with some mozzarella, then dolloped (I love the word dollop) some garlic herbed ricotta on top, I placed some broiled asparagus across the surface, and ended with a confetti of shaved cacciatore. Besides being pretty it tasted fantastic, which is always a bonus. It was easy to prepare as well, and I highly recommend giving it a go if your feeling the need for a white pizza at some time in the future.

Printable version

White Pizza with Cacciatore

(Makes one 12-inch pizza)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of warm (110°-115°F) water
• 1/2 a package of active dry yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 1/2-1 3/4 cups of a mixture of semolina flour and bread flour (I do about half and half)

Toppings:

• 14 spears of asparagus; trimmed
• 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic; minced
• 1/2 tablespoon of oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon of thyme
• 1/3 cup of whole milk ricotta cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups of grated mozzarella 
• 1/4-1/3 cup of shaved cacciatore (I used the thinnest setting on my mandoline. If you don't have a mandoline then just cut it as thinly as you possibly can)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Mix with a fork until the yeast is dissolved in the water. Let sit for 10 minutes to proof the yeast.
2. Add in the salt and olive oil. Then using a wooden spoon stir in the flours. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for 5-8 minutes until the dough is combined and smooth.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a draft-free place for 1 hour. After the hour the dough should have doubled. Punch down the dough to remove the air bubbles, recover with the plastic wrap and set in a draft free place for another hour. 
4. Meanwhile prepare your toppings. Turn the broiler on in your oven. On a cookie sheet toss the trimmed asparagus with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set the asparagus under the broiler for 8-10 minutes until it is wilted and slightly browned. Set aside.
5. In a small saute pan set over medium-low heat warm the 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the garlic and stir. Once you smell the garlic (about a minute) add in the oregano and thyme. Saute for a minute longer. Combine the garlic herb mixture with the ricotta in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
6. Once the second rise is done on the pizza dough pre-heat your oven to 550°F if it will go up that high. If not 500°F works too. Punch the dough down again and roll it out to a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a greased or floured pizza tray. Top the dough with the mozzarella leaving about a 1/2-inch edge for the crust. Dollop the ricotta over the mozzarella. Lay the asparagus on top of the mozzarella and the ricotta in any little way that makes you happy. Then sprinkle your shaved cacciatore all over the top of the pizza.
7. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes. Then allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Disclaimer:

Unfortunately, I don't have any of Columbus Salame's tasting kits to give away to any of you (and trust me, I wish I did), however, if you would like to purchase some of their fantastic products you can click on over to their website at www.columbussalame.com. As I said before I won the tasting kit and am therefore not being compensated in any way for sharing my thoughts on their products with you. This is something I opted to do on my own because I am enjoying their salame so much. But maybe if I keep repeating that I wish I had a kit to give away they will supply me with one. We can always hope ;)