One of the reasons pizza restaurants do so well on Super Bowl Sunday is that pizzas are easy (and inexpensive) to make. Another reason is that they taste good.
Keep in mind that a good pizza starts with a good crust. Pizza dough — risen, punched down and shaped into ready-to-roll balls — stores well in the refrigerator or freezer, so you can always keep some on hand for a quick dinner.
When it comes to toppings, the sky's the limit. But whatever you choose, try to use a light hand with the quantity. Pizzas cook better when they're not overloaded.
Chef de cuisine Ian Winslade at Market restaurant in the W-Atlanta Buckhead hotel was kind enough to share this recipe with us.
-- Deborah Geering, for the Journal-Constitution
Hands on time: 30 minutes Total time: 50 minutes Serves: 16 (makes 2 pizzas)
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
To prepare the olive-tomato mixture:
In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, olives, olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and drain off excess liquid before using.
To prepare the basil puree:
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Blanch the basil by dropping into the boiling water, then shock it by immediately dipping it into a bowl of ice-cold water. Squeeze out excess water. In a blender, combine the basil with the olive oil and blend until smooth. Shock over a bowl of ice again. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
To assemble the pizza:
On a floured surface, roll out 1 ball of dough. Transfer to a pizza pan (or, if you are cooking on a pizza stone, a peel). Brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Layer with half the mozzarella, then half the drained olive-tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper and bake until crust is cooked and cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with 3 to 4 tablespoons basil puree. Cover with half the arugula. Top with half the Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Repeat the process, using the remaining ingredients, to make the second pizza.
Notes:
Total time listed above does not include overnight resting time (at least 8 hours) for pizza dough.
See link below for dough recipe.
Nutrition:
Per serving: 262 calories (percent of calories from fat, 60), 5 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 18 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 6 milligrams cholesterol, 188 milligrams sodium.
