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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.

 

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