Pizza, the famed, oven-baked flat bread generally topped with tomato sauce and cheese and often supplemented with various meats, vegetables and condiments. From its humble beginnings in Ancient Greece as bread covered with oil and herbs to its now esteemed Protected Designation of Origin status in Naples, it is a dish that has become entrenched in our culinary world. Whether served straight out of the box as a snack on game day, or dressed up in miniature as an elegant appetizer, pizza is the perfect palette.
On average, pizza is consumed in my household, at least once a week; whether we order in, dine out at one of our favorite pizzerias, or roll it out ourselves. It is inarguably, the one food that can be mutually agreed upon, and the one with which we can also express the most edible creativity. This simple dough is always the perfect canvas on which many a delectable meal has been based, with an immeasurable amount of flavor and color combinations. Not to mention its incredible versatility.
Pizza can seamlessly make the transition from breakfast (topped with sweetened mascarpone and fresh berries, or bacon and eggs); to lunch (folded over into a hand held calzone or panzerotto, or rolled into Stromboli or sliced open and filled as a focaccia sandwich); to dinner (an herbed focaccia as an appetizer or topped in any number of ways and served with a salad as a main); to dessert (with a generous smear of Nutella, strawberries and a dusting of powdered sugar).
The act of rolling out dough opens up a world of possibilities. The classic renditions of Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil) or pepperoni and cheese are just the beginning. Think white; drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, thinly sliced potatoes and rosemary; or green with pesto, grilled zucchini, roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes, black olives and Parmigiano; perhaps purple with roasted beet puree, grilled fennel, pistachios and goat cheese; or if burgundy is more your color, fig preserves, smoky speck, arugula and brie. Seasonal ingredients always inspire like artichokes and asparagus paired with gruyere in spring; zucchini blossoms and fior di latte in summer; squash and ricotta and kale in fall; and sausage, rapini and Pecorino in winter. Food artistry comes together at its finest when creating pizzas with pizazz.
No matter how or when you enjoy this pie, it’s always bound to be quite the slice. Happy National Pizza Day and Buon Appetito!
