Pancetta Pizza

We’ve gone a month without air conditioning … in 90 degree weather. We survived, of course, but it wasn’t much fun. Mostly because I couldn’t use the oven. After finally tracking down the part for our 40-year-old air conditioner (Antique Roadshow, here we come!), we got it fixed today. Hurrah.

In honor of our cool home, I cranked up the oven and made a delicious pizza that Regan and I dreamed up over the course of the day. It was so tasty I have to tell all my friends.

Pancetta Pizza *

Whip up the crust of your choice. My standby is Valentino’s Pizza Crust from AllRecipes.com.

While waiting for your dough to rest and rise, preheat the oven to 425 degrees farenheit and let your pizza stone heat with the oven. Placing your dough on a hot stone will help the bottom of the pizza crust to become crisp since the toppings for this one have the potential to make a soggy pizza if you aren’t careful. If you are careful though, the toppings will make an insanely flavored top crust.

Sauce

• One large tomato or a handful of smaller ones, thinly sliced — just depending on what you have on hand … or in your garden.
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Approximately 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• Preferred Italian seasoning to taste

– Throw it all in a saucepan, and over very low heat warm ingredients for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes soften, but all the colors are still vibrant.

– After the sauce is done and the oven heated, distribute the dough on the pizza stone. Then use a slotted spoon to place the tomatoes from the saucepan on the top of the crust, making sure to drain them well. After the tomato pieces are evenly distributed, use a pastry or silicone brush to lightly cover the rest of the crust with a thin layer of the liquid from the pan.

– Cover with approximately 1/3 lb. of sliced pancetta** and two balls of thinly sliced fresh mozzarella**.

– Bake for about 10 minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden. Sprinkle with fresh-cut basil.

* I know pizza is easy and totally something to make up as you go so don’t think me too silly for writing it down.

* *Of course you can use whatever ingredients you want, but if you are in the Indy area I’d highly recommend Goose the Market. Not only because they carry phenomenally good meats, cheeses, local produce and more, but because they are genuinely good folks who are all passionate about what they do — and about food. Yum!


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One response to “Pancetta Pizza”

  1. Maryann Kelly Avatar

    Pizza is and isn’t easy! So many things can go wrong with the dough… and I envy your pizza stone. 🙂 Sounds like a wonderful combo though – we will have to give it a go next time we crank up our oven. I remember spending a summer in the Traymore without AC and I’m still not sure how I managed. So crank it up and enjoy! 🙂 Wish I could sit on your screened-in porch and sip a few mint juleps.

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