Rachael's Daytime Talk Show
Pizz-O -- 08/28/07

Pizz-O

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
  • 1/4 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage, about 2 links, casings removed
  • 1/4 pound bulk hot Italian sausage, about 2 links, casings removed
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 portobello mushrooms, chopped into chunky pieces
  • 2 roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese, room temperature for easy spreading
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 4-5 sprigs, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided in half
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup fresh store-bought pesto or homemade arugula pesto
  • 1 cup grated scamorza or smoked mozzarella
  • 1 fresh pizza dough, from your favorite pizza joint
  • 6 slices prosciutto
  • Cornmeal, to sprinkle on the pizza pan

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Heat a skillet with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add both the sweet and hot Italian sausage, breaking it up into little pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook about 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Add the garlic and mushrooms.

Step

Once the mushrooms have wilted and turned deep brown in color, stir in the roasted red peppers. Set aside until it is time to assemble the pizza.

In a bowl combine the ricotta, lemon zest, thyme, 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Reserve.

Step

To assemble the pizza, sprinkle a round pizza pan with cornmeal. This will keep your pizza from sticking when it is cooking and help it slide off the pan when it is done. Roll out the pizza dough in a circle (don't worry if it isn't perfect, it should look rustic), then roll it up around the rolling pin and transfer to the pizza pan. Spread the pesto out across the rolled-out dough, using the back of a spoon to get it everywhere. Top the pesto with the sliced prosciutto, then spread the ricotta mixture over it and sprinkle with some Parmigiano.

Step

Add the reserved sausage mixture to the center, leaving about a 11/2-inch border around the pie. Top the sausage with the scamorza and fold the topping-free edge over until it meets the sausage. Keep the pizza round by pleating the edge as you work your way around the pie.

Step

Brush crust with some EVOO for a beautiful golden brown color. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven, slice and enjoy! DELISH!