Pizza Al Forno Recipes

PIZZA AL FORNO

Steps:

• 1 Preheat oven to 425°.
• 2 Combine sauce with ricotta in medium bowl.
• 3 Arrange pizza crust on ungreased pizza pan or baking sheet. Evenly spread with Ricotta mixture, then top with tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese.
• 4 Bake 15 minutes or until Ricotta mixture is bubbling. Garnish, if desired, with Parmesan cheese curls and fresh basil leaves.
• 5 Variations: Before baking, try topping with sautéed spinach, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, olives, cooked Italian sausage or pepperoni.

COZZE AL FORNO

Steps:

• For the filling: Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and the prosciutto and cook, stirring often, until the prosciutto is crispy, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Remove the skillet from the heat and cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and toss in the oil to coat. Stir in the parsley and 1/4 cup of Parmesan.
• Meanwhile, for the mussels: Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the mussels and white wine. Cover and give the pot a shake. Cook, shaking occasionally, until the mussels have just opened, 2 to 3 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels.
• Position a rack in the top third of the oven. Preheat the broiler to high.
• Discard the top shells of the mussels and loosen the mussel meat from the bottom shell. Leave the meat in the shell and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Using a small spoon, pack the filling in each of the mussel shells. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Broil until the filling is golden and the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.

PIZZA WITH FRIED CALAMARI (FROM AL FORNO)

Steps:

• Cut the tubes into rings. Lightly coat the squid with flour and fry 360 degree F oil until golden brown. We make this pizza the same way as the margarita except that the spicy oil is drizzled on instead of just olive oil and then the calamari is placed on top, and garnished with scallions.
• Prepare a hot charcoal fire, setting the grill rack 3 to 4 inches above the coals.
• On a large, oiled, inverted baking sheet, spread and flatten the pizza dough with your hands into a 10 to 12-inch free-form circle, 1/8-inch thick. Do not make a lip. You may end up with a rectangle rather than a circle; the shape is unimportant, but do take care to maintain an even thickness.
• When the fire is hot (when you can hold your hand over the coals for 3 to 4 seconds at a distance of 5 inches), use your fingertips to lift the dough gently by the 2 corners closest to you, and drape in onto the grill. Catch the loose edge on the grill first and slide the remaining dough into place over the fire. Within a minute the dough will puff slightly, the underside will stiffen, and grill marks will appear.
• Using tongs, immediately flip the crust over, onto the coolest part of the grill. Quickly brush the grilled surface with olive oil. Scatter the garlic and cheeses over the dough, and spoon dollops of tomato over the cheese. Do not cover the entire surface of the pizza with tomatoes. Finally, drizzle the pizza with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Slide the pizza back toward the hot coals, but not directly over them. Using tongs, rotate the pizza frequently so that different sections receive high heat; check the underside often to see that it is not burning. The pizza is done when the top is bubbly and the cheese melted, about 6 to 8 minutes. Serve at once, topped with the basil leaves and additional olive oil, if desired.
• Pizza Dough: Sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup warm (105 to 110 degrees F) water and allow it to dissolve and activate, about 5 minutes. Combine the flour and salt and mound it onto a cool work surface creating a high walled well in the center. Combine the yeast mixture with 1 1/2 cups of cool water and pour into the well. Slowly begin to mix the water and flour, a little at a time, moving your fingers in short, counter clockwise circles around the border of the water. When the dough is firm enough to hold it's shape, scrape the remaining flour over it and knead until the mass is smooth and shiny, approximately 7 minutes. Transfer the dough to a bowl that has been brushed with olive oil. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil to prevent a skin from forming, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place away from drafts until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Punch down the dough and knead once more. Let the dough rise again for about 40 minutes, punch down again and form dough into 4 balls.
• Combine all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to very low, and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 30 minutes so the flavors continue to infuse the oil as it cools
• Strain the oil into a clean jar. When it has cooled to room temperature, cover and refrigerate.

GRILLED PIZZA WITH TOMATOES, CORN AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Pour 1/4 cup warm water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to blend. Let stand until yeast dissolves and mixture is slightly foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Stir 1 1/2 cups room-temperature water and salt into yeast mixture. Add 3 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until slightly sticky dough forms. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth and elastic, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if sticky, about 10 minutes. Oil large bowl. Add dough; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm area until doubled in volume, about 50 minutes.
• Punch dough down; turn out onto floured surface. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; knead each briefly until smooth. Cover with towel; let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Roll out 1 dough piece on lightly floured surface to 11 x 8-inch rectangle. Transfer to floured baking sheet. Brush top with oil. Place oiled side down on barbecue. Grill until bottom is golden, about 2 1/2 minutes. Brush top with oil. Using tongs, turn bread over; grill until second side is golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet. Brush bread with oil. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover with foil; let stand at room temperature. Before continuing, prepare barbecue; use medium-high heat.)
• Sprinkle Parmesan and Fontina over breads. Top each with tomato slices, corn kernels, parsley and jalapeño. Drizzle with oil. Place breads on barbecue; cover loosely with foil. Grill until cheese melts, watching closely, about 2 minutes. Cut each bread into pieces; serve warm.