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Filled Focaccia with Pesto, Mortadella, and Burrata

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Ever  need a comfort food fix? I do.

When I make filled focaccia with fresh pesto, burrata and mortadella it is the ultimate comfort satisfaction, nothing competes when it emerges from the hot oven and the burrata has melted perfectly, the mortadella is warm, and the bite of fresh pesto creates the ultimate flavor combination and brings me to one of my fondest memories.

I experienced filled focaccia when I visited a dear friend in Milan. It was a damp, chilly autumn afternoon and we had just returned from seeing DaVinci’s Last Supper.

We arrived in her sweet apartment (not much bigger than my living room back in the US) and I was immediately engulfed with the delicious smell of warm bread, fresh basil, and gooey cheese. As the aroma saturated the room, it was the most amazing sensation, so very unexpected yet incredibly welcomed.

She quickly answered my thoughts and explained she had decided to make us her mom’s filled focaccia recipe. With a slight smile and an air of pride, she announced it was created with her fresh garden pesto,  her nonno’s cured mortadella, and her mom’s homemade burrata. My mouth was watering and my senses were dancing…..

As she cut the focaccia, the ingredients, oozed out of the center and teased us with the beautiful colors and enticing flavors. I set the table and poured the house wine from her uncle’s vineyard.  She tossed together a simple salad which came from her window box garden.  We sat, giggling and chatting as the hours passed during the gloomy afternoon.

As I reminisce, I never knew such a simple dish could entice me at such a deep level but now I realize each recipe, each dish created with such love and intent is forever it’s own work of art.

Filled Focaccia with Pesto, Mortadella, and Burrata
 
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Author:
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • FOCACCIA DOUGH:
  • 5 Cups All-purpose Unbleached Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons Instant Active Dry Yeast
  • 2 – 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Plus 2 Additional Tablespoons To Oil Bowl)
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 2+ Cups Warm Water
  • STUFFING:
  • 12 Thin Slices Mortadella
  • 2 Burrata Balls, torn in pieces
  • Pesto:
  • 1 Cup Basil
  • 1 Garlic Cloves,
  • Pine Nuts
  • Parmigiano Cheese
  • Salt & Pepper
  • ⅓ Cup Olive Oil
  • TO FINISH:
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Coarse Sea Salt
Instructions
  1. Measure and assemble your flour, oil, salt, yeast, and water.
  2. Add everything but the water into a large bowl and stir.
  3. Add half the water and stir.
  4. Continue to add water until the dough begins to come together into a shaggy ball.
  5. Dump the dough mixture onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead with the heels of your hand.
  6. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and pliant.
  7. Add a little oil (2 tablespoons) to the bottom of a large bowl and place your ball of dough inside.
  8. Roll the ball of dough around in the oil ensuring the sides of the bowl and ball of dough are both lightly oiled.
  9. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise. (I cover mine with a kitchen towel on top of the plastic wrap and sit it on a large sunny windowsill.)
  10. Let the dough rise until it is doubled in size, about an hour or an hour and a half depending on ambient temperature.
  11. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  12. While the dough is rising, place all of the pesto ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  13. Divide the dough into two equal halves.
  14. Oil a 13 x 9 Inch baking sheet.
  15. Place one half of the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it with a rolling pin until it fits the bottom of the prepared pan.
  16. Place the dough in the pan, stretching it with your fingers to fit.
  17. Spread the tomato pesto over the dough.
  18. Lay the ham slices, slightly overlapping on top of the pesto.
  19. Lay the provolone cheese slices on top of the ham, overlapping to fit.
  20. Roll out the remaining dough to fit the pan, then stretch it out with your fingers as you lay it on top of the stuffing mixture.
  21. Use your fingers to pinch the two dough halves together to seal.
  22. Use your fingers to press dimples into the top of the dough.
  23. Drizzle a little of the oil over the top of the dough.
  24. Sprinkle the top with some salt and then bake until puffed and golden brown, about 25 minutes.
  25. Cool 10 minutes, then cut into 4-inch squares and serve.

 

Seared Scallops with Basil Pistou

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Scallops + Basil Pistou = Simple + Divine

Seared Scallops with Basil Pistou

It really is as easy as that, really. Scallops are one of those decadent wonders that when paired with a simple accompaniment, makes anyone look like a 5 star chef……after all, who wouldn’t want THAT?

I have two members of my family who are scallops freaks, seriously, head over heels about these little meaty, sweet wonders from the sea. They LOVE them and each could devour 15-20 on a daily basis, honestly 15-20.  I often think to myself, why couldn’t they have chosen something a LITTLE less costly, I mean really???

Recently on a trip up north I KNEW I had better create some dish that had scallops or I might not be welcomed back. Anyone who has been north (meaning Montana) in the DEAD of winter KNOWS that fresh scallops are a bit difficult to come by……just a little….okay friggin IMPOSSIBLE! Sure enough as luck would have it, guess when I was going to be there… WINTER!!!

I can’t begin to express my gratitude for my buddy, the fishmonger who I sought out about 7 years ago. He bails me out all the time by keeping some of these little “gems” frozen in his stash for desperate cooks on a mission of pleasure. 🙂

So when I was up north a couple of weeks ago, I  meandered into his little shop for my usual request and asked (with desperation in my voice) if he had his “stash” for me to raid? He went a bit pale as he was sure he had sold the last of the lot to a chef in town. I could feel my heart stop and my eyes fill with tears (a bit dramatic, I know) but he panicked enough to make a trip to the back of the shop and  now it was my turn to hope for a miracle.  Sure enough, after about 15 minutes, he found me the last of the scallop “stash”, hidden beneath a newly frozen salmon.

I jumped up, kissed him, and bid him farewell as I made my way off to create my scallop wonder and to become the favorite of the family……once again.

Seared Scallops with Basil Pistou
 
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Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • For the Scallops:
  • 1 to 1¼ pounds dry sea scallops, approximately 16
  • 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • For the Pistou:
  • 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4½ cups basil leaves, torn into pieces (2 ounces)
  • ¼ cup coarsely grated plum tomatoes
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup finely grated Mimolette or Parmigiano
Instructions
  1. For the Scallops:
  2. Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.
  3. Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1½ minutes on each side. The scallops should have a ¼-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately with pistol.
  4. For the Pistou:
  5. In a large mortar, pound the garlic with the salt to a paste. Add the basil by the handful and grind the leaves against the side of the mortar until almost smooth. Stir in the tomatoes, then gradually stir in the olive oil until it's incorporated. Stir in the cheese and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Seared Scallops with Basil Pistou

Seared Scallops with Basil Pistou

Pesto Pizza with Roasted Tomatoes, Homemade Ricotta, and Caramelized Onions

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Pesto Pizza with Roasted Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions

Pesto Pizza with Roasted Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions in Pizza Oven

I simply adore Italian food and whether I like pasta or pizza better is so hard to say, in fact, it’s impossible. I love them both for many of the same reasons and for many different ones.

Both fill my comfort food addictions and needs! Both are creative, fun to make, and involve CARBS which I ADORE! Both seem simple but to perfect from scratch is not easy; it takes time, patience, knowledge, and a good “nonna” for a teacher.

As for the differences, I could make pasta everyday, period. I fantasize about the various recipes, shapes, sauces, and pairings. I ADORE making pasta. Pizza, I love to make just not everyday BUT when I want something and think about the two, chances are I will eat pizza more often than pasta. So, try to figure this one out……okay never mind, don’t…..

Honestly, at the end of the day, it’s not as complicated as I am making it sound. If you love Italian food, I really don’t know anyone who doesn’t and if I did, I probably wouldn’t associate with them, it’s a difference I couldn’t comprehend, but if you do love it as much as I then pizza or pasta, who cares, just MANGA!

On that note, everyone has a recipe for a margarita pizza so I wanted to post a recipe that is a little more unusual but incorporates ingredients that most everyone loves and this pesto pizza with roasted tomatoes, homemade ricotta, and caramelized onions just rocks! If you have a pizza oven or know someone who does (I happen to know someone, mille graze a caterina e giovanni:), use it….but if all you have access to is an oven, it does the trick. I would suggest investing in a pizza stone if you don’t have one, it’s the closest thing you can get to mimicking cooking in a pizza oven!

Now go and figure out your favorite…..pizza, pasta, or BOTH….. before you contemplate, pour a glass of vino!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Pesto Pizza with Roasted Tomatoes, Homemade Ricotta, and Caramelized Onions
 
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If you are a pizza addict like me, this version is scrumptious!
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • Pizza Dough:
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1½ cups warm water
  • 2¼ tsp fresh yeast
  • 2 T + 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Caramelized Onions:
  • 2 sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced
  • olive oil
  • marsala wine
  • salt
  • Pesto:
  • 2 cups fresh basil
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • ¼ - ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ c toasted pine nuts
  • parmigiano-reggiano cheese
  • salt and pepper
  • Roasted Tomatoes:
  • 1-2 lbs cherry tomatoes
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • sugar
  • Homemade Ricotta:
  • 6 cups organic whole milk
  • 2 cups organic heavy whip cream
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 T organic white wine vinegar
  • Toppings:
  • asiago cheese
  • fresh mozzarella cheese
  • basil
Instructions
  1. Pizza Dough:
  2. Day before making pizza:
  3. Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
  4. Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 24 hours. This allows the yeast to rise fully.
  5. Caramelized Onions
  6. On stove top in medium sized pan over medium heat, add a little olive oil and warm. Add onions and sauté. Add a little more olive oil as they cook and turn heat down a little bit to slow cooking. When starting to brown, add about ¼ cup marsala wine and a little salt. Let onion cook way down til golden brown.
  7. Roasted Tomatoes:
  8. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and a little sugar. Place in oven and cook until roasted, about 20-25 minutes.
  9. Homemade Ricotta:
  10. In a saucepan on stove over medium heat, put in the milk, cream, salt, and vinegar. Bring to a medium heat and boil where it starts to separate. Put in a mesh colander over a bowl until liquid is drained.
  11. To Make Pesto:
  12. In a food processor, add basil and garlic. Pulse until well blended and finally chopped. Add ½ pine nuts and ¼ cup olive oil and run until well blended. Add a little salt and pepper and pulse. Check consistency and flavor. Add oil and seasoning if necessary. Don't want pesto "runny" but spreadable.
  13. To assemble pizza:
  14. Preheat oven to 500. If you have a pizza stone, preheat in oven for 15-20 minutes but if using a baking sheet then don't preheat. Roll out 1 of the pizza balls in desired shape, rectangle or round, to desired thickness, I like really thin crust. Prick dough with fork as to not form bubbles.
  15. Spread basil on bottom to of dough. Add ricotta in small amount around pizza and same with mozzarella. Add ½ caramelized onion and ½ tomatoes and top with a little asiago and parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Remember, pizza is a balance of crust and toppings, don't "load up" with too much cheese. Repeat with other pizza ball.
  16. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crust is browned well and toppings are melted. Pull out of oven and dot with fresh basil and drizzle with olive oil. Cut and serve immediately with roasted red pepper flakes and fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Pizza Oven with Four Cheese Pizza and Pesto Pizza with Roasted Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions 2

Spaghetti Squash Boat with Roasted Tomato Sauce

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I do have to confess that the idea of eating spaghetti squash vs real pasta didn’t excite my universe too much. My mom tried to pass it off as the same but when you are a kid, pasta is pasta, right? You know, gooey goodness of mac and cheese or lasagna, it’s the best taste in the world, ever. How I am supposed to pretend that a stringy squash is gonna give me similar excitement and pleasure…NOT.

It didn’t stop her tenacity and she was Italian so I pretty much had to hush up and eat it and like it. There wasn’t a separate menu for those of us on the picket line, just a pass to our room on an empty stomach. She didn’t worry too much if our tummy’s growled or we dramatically entered out of our room before bed crying with hunger pains. Back then we either ate what was at dinner or waited until breakfast to see if we still were picketing or back into the land of the living. Anyone relate?

I do have to thank her diligence, no doubt because now I completely adore spaghetti squash. It’s a weekly staple at our house for dinner and my favorite prep is a simple roasted tomato sauce with onions, garlic, and basil. All sourced out of our garden and canned…..savoring goodness all year long.

Thanks mom, tenacity pays…..

Spaghetti Squash Boat with Roasted Tomato Sauce
 
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This is a simple weeknight delight that is both delicious and healthy. If you don't have fresh tomatoes, canned will work
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Farm to Table
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 spaghetti squash, cut in half and placed face down on a cookie sheet
  • 6 large tomatoes, placed on a cookie sheet lined with parchment to roast (can substitute 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, preferably San Marzano or Pomi)
  • 1 medium sweet onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 T olive oil
  • Bunch of basil
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
  • Grated pecorino cheese for serving
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350 and put in spaghetti squash and tomatoes, roast until done, about 30 min for tomatoes and 45 min for squash
  2. When tomatoes are finished, place in blender or food processor and pulse until smooth
  3. In a medium saucepan, put in 3 T olive oil and heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent and add garlic, cook for 1 minute.
  4. Add tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Add basil and cook for another 5-10 minutes
  6. When squash is done, turn over and scoop out seeds. Add marinara sauce and top with pecorino.
  7. Serve immediately