Stracciatella Pie
Makes one 10- to 12-inch pizza
Put the pizza stone on a rack in a gas oven about 8 inches from the broiler. Preheat the oven on bake at 500°F for 30 minutes. Switch to broil for
10 minutes.
With the dough on the peel, spoon the tomato sauce over the surface and spread it evenly, leaving about an inch of the rim untouched. Sprinkle
with salt and pepper. With quick, jerking motions, slide the pie onto the stone. Broil for 3 minutes under gas, until the top is bubbling and the crust
is nicely charred but not burnt. Using the peel, transfer the pizza to a tray or serving platter. Distribute the cheese in clumps over the surface of
the pie; it will melt and spread immediately. Cover it with the arugula and drizzle with oil. Slice and serve.
Basic Tomato Sauce
(if you'd like to make it from scratch)
If using fresh tomatoes, bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a 5- or 6-quart pot.
Cut away the dry stem area of the tomatoes, leaving the core intact. Place 2 or 3 tomatoes at a time in the boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds.
Remove with a slotted spoon and put on a rack to cool. Peel the tomatoes with a pairing knife.
Whether using fresh or canned, cut each tomato into several wedges and run them through a food mill over a medium bowl to create a pulp (not a
fine puree; you want to retain some texture). If you don't have a food mill, just squish them with your hands—it's messy but fun.
Stir in the olive oil and salt. The sauce will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Makes one 10- to 12-inch pizza
- 1 ball of Pizza Dough, shaped and waiting on a floured peel (here's the recipe for easy, no-knead pizza dough...but you can sneak and get frozen dough at Trader Joe's!)
- 1/4 cup basic tomato sauce (recipe below, if you'd like to make it from scratch)
- Generous pinch of fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 ounces stracciatella cheese
- About 3/4 ounce arugula
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Put the pizza stone on a rack in a gas oven about 8 inches from the broiler. Preheat the oven on bake at 500°F for 30 minutes. Switch to broil for
10 minutes.
With the dough on the peel, spoon the tomato sauce over the surface and spread it evenly, leaving about an inch of the rim untouched. Sprinkle
with salt and pepper. With quick, jerking motions, slide the pie onto the stone. Broil for 3 minutes under gas, until the top is bubbling and the crust
is nicely charred but not burnt. Using the peel, transfer the pizza to a tray or serving platter. Distribute the cheese in clumps over the surface of
the pie; it will melt and spread immediately. Cover it with the arugula and drizzle with oil. Slice and serve.
Basic Tomato Sauce
(if you'd like to make it from scratch)
- 1 1/2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes or 1 28-ounce can peeled Italian plum tomatoes
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
If using fresh tomatoes, bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a 5- or 6-quart pot.
Cut away the dry stem area of the tomatoes, leaving the core intact. Place 2 or 3 tomatoes at a time in the boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds.
Remove with a slotted spoon and put on a rack to cool. Peel the tomatoes with a pairing knife.
Whether using fresh or canned, cut each tomato into several wedges and run them through a food mill over a medium bowl to create a pulp (not a
fine puree; you want to retain some texture). If you don't have a food mill, just squish them with your hands—it's messy but fun.
Stir in the olive oil and salt. The sauce will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.