Pizza

Sausage, Fennel, and Ricotta Pizza

I’ve been on a little bit of a pizza binge lately.  Whether it’s greasy takeout pizza, frozen pizza or homemade pizza, I’m all about it.  Earlier this year, I was in the habit of coming home on Fridays after work, throwing a frozen pizza in the oven, popping open a beer or two and settling in to watch Grimm with the lights off.  Yes, it’s sad, I don’t go out on Fridays.  By the time work is over for the week, I’m exhausted and look forward to a Friday night at home.  Well, now that Grimm starts again tonight, I’m right back into old habits except this time, I’m challenging myself to make a different pizza each week instead of those inexpensive frozen pizzas I’m used to having (no matter how much I love them!). This Sausage, Fennel, and Ricotta Pizza was no disappointment.

Refrigerated pizza crust is topped with browned turkey sausage, thin fennel slices, and dollops of creamy garlic-laced ricotta. Red pepper flakes and fennel seeds are scattered over the whole pie before it is baked until golden and crispy. This pizza uses fennel 3-ways: in the sausage, fresh from the bulb and the seeds. I have decided I’m obsessed with fennel. I’ve used fennel before in soups and other recipes but this pizza really stands out to me as a way to really celebrate fennel’s unique flavor. If you haven’t used a fresh fennel before, this is a great way to try it.  The slices get soft when baking and the flavor mellows out perfectly. Of course, if you really aren’t into fennel bulb, you can leave it out: the fennel seeds provide perfect flavor alone.  Pizza and beer sounds like the perfect way to spend a Friday night to me.

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The ingredients:

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Preheat oven to 500° (keep pizza stone or baking sheet in oven as it preheats). Let pizza dough stand at room temperature, covered, while oven preheats. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casing from sausage. Add sausage to pan; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring to crumble. Add fennel bulb; cook 4 minutes or until tender.

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Roll pizza dough into a 16-inch oval on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle cornmeal over pizza stone or pizza pan; place dough on pizza stone or pan. Brush dough evenly with oil. Sprinkle sausage mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border.

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Combine ricotta and garlic in a small bowl; top pizza with teaspoonfuls of ricotta mixture.

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Sprinkle red onion and remaining ingredients evenly over pizza.

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Bake at 500° for 11 minutes or until golden. Cut into 8 slices.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Red onion

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light magazine

Peach and Gorgonzola Chicken Pizza

Sometimes I forget that I actually like blue cheese.  Or at least some blue cheese.  Ever since I made Pear Chutney Bruschetta with Pecans and Gorgonzola so long ago, I’ve become much more likely to make a dish that calls for blue cheese.  Before, I would substitute feta which isn’t even close to the same flavor.  But even though I’ve come a long way, I still eat ranch with my buffalo wings and substitute gorgonzola for real blue cheese.  A tiger can’t change it’s stripes.  This Peach and Gorgonzola Chicken Pizza is a good way for someone to baby step their way into the world of blue cheese.

Prebaked pizza crust is topped with sliced fresh peaches, crumbled gorgonzola cheese, shredded chicken, and mozzarella cheese.  After baking, a reduction of balsamic vinegar is drizzled over the top to add yet another bold taste which enhances the whole pie.  The sweetness of the peaches, the bite of the gorgonzola, and the tang of the balsamic vinegar all make for a perfect marriage of unique pizza flavors. With nary a tomato in sight, this isn’t your typical pizza.  But it’s ease and amazing combination of flavors makes for a quick week night dinner that’s perfect for a warm summer night.

If you like this, also check out Apple, Ricotta Cheese, and Pecan Pizza.

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The ingredients:

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Place pizza crust on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil evenly over crust.

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Top evenly with 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, chicken, Gorgonzola cheese, and peach slices.

DSC04544 Top with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella. Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 11 minutes or until crust browns.

DSC04545 Place vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).

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Drizzle balsamic reduction evenly over pizza.

DSC04547 Cut pizza into 8 wedges.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light magazine

Baked Pumpkin and Sausage Penne

October is my favorite month by far. I love sitting outside on a cool night with a fire pit and have my clothes smell like woody smoke. I love freaking myself out by watching random horror movies which can always be found somewhere on cable all month. I love putting an extra blanket on my bed and crawling under the covers on a chilly Sunday to watch football. And I love the scent that comes wafting to my nose the first time I break open a can of pumpkin for the season. Since I’ve had pumpkin in pasta before and liked it, I figured this recipe for Baked Pumpkin and Sausage Penne would be right up my alley. Pasta, yum. Pumpkin, yum. Sausage, yum.

Fresh sage is added to browned spicy sausage and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, canned pumpkin is mixed with milk, egg yolks, cream cheese and spices to create a rich sauce. The pumpkin mixture is added to the sausage and pasta and poured into a baking dish where it’s topped with panko crumbs and more cheese. Fresh sage, which mixes so perfectly with pumpkin, adds an earthy, herby flavor boost and the panko topping creates a crispy topping. As much as I love pumpkin, this was a little bit too pumpkin for me. I think a little less pumpkin and maybe the addition of ricotta might make for a better dish. I used parmesan cheese instead of Asiago cheese and used less than half of what the recipe called for so maybe that would have made a difference. This makes 8 big portions so by the last bite, I’d had enough. Next time I’m craving pumpkin and pasta, I think I’ll make Pumpkin-Ricotta Stuffed Shells instead.

The ingredients:

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat. Cook until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes, breaking apart with a wooden spoon. Stir in sage and cook 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside. Pour off and discard drippings.

In the same skillet, whisk pumpkin, milk, cream cheese, egg yolks, 1 cup of the Asiago, the nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Stir over medium heat until cheeses are melted.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water 1 minute less than package directions, about 9 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Return pasta to pot. Stir in sausage, pumpkin mixture and reserved pasta water. Mix well to combine.

Transfer to a 13 x 9 x 2-inch dish and top with panko and remaining 2 tbsp Asiago.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Turn broiler on HIGH and broil 1 to 2 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

  • Whole-wheat penne
  • Grated parmesan cheese

Overall Rating: So-So

Source: Family Circle Magazine

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