NYU Winter CSA, week #2 Pea tendril pesto pizza, with fresh tomatoes & Prosciutto - 01/21/21

Pea tendril pesto pizza, with fresh tomatoes & Prosciutto

N.Y.U. Winter CSA, Week 2 -  01/21/21

By, Will Falzon – The Brooklyn Maltese.

Ingredients/Procedure 

For the pizza skin

 Homemade or store brought Pizza dough. 900 Grams (32 0z.)

1. Stretch the dough to your desired shape and size.

For the pesto

 heaping ½ cup pistachios, chopped & toasted.

 a few big handfuls of pea tendrils (or any mild soft leafy green)

 zest & juice of 1 small lemon

 1 small garlic clove

 salt & pepper

 olive oil (a few tablespoons to ¼ cup)

 2 Tbs.  grated parmesan cheese 

1. In a food processor, pulse together everything except for the olive oil. Drizzle the oil in slowly while the blade is running. Add as much or little olive oil as you want. Less oil will make a chunkier pesto, more olive oil will make it smoother. 

2. Taste and adjust seasonings.

For the Toppings

 1 cup homemade pea tendril pesto, divided.

 16 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese thinly sliced or grated. 

 2 vine-ripened tomatoes

 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 Freshly ground black pepper

 ½ cup frozen baby peas

 ¼ lb. Prosciutto cut into pieces.

 1/4 cup gently packed fresh pea tendrils, torn.

Assembly

 Oil a 12X18 cookie sheet

 Stretch the dough to fit.

 Preheat the oven to 450 F.

 Allow the stretched dough to rest at room temperature for about 30-45 minutes until it is puffy.

 Dock the dough with your fingers. 

 Spread 2/3 cup of the pesto evenly over the pizza, leaving a 1-inch border.

 Bake the pizza skin in the preheated oven for  5 min.

 Spread the mozzarella cheese over the par-baked skin.

 Place the thinly sliced tomato over the cheese.

 Cover the tomatoes with Parmigiano.

 Sprinkle just a little salt and some pepper to taste.

 Spread the sill frozen baby peas over the pie.

 Bake the pie on the lowest rack, for 20-30 more minutes, until the cheese is bubbly, and the crust is brown.

 Remove the grandma-style pie from the oven.

 Drop dollops of the reserved pesto all over the pie.

 Use scissors to cut the prosciutto and drop evenly all over the pie

 Finally, arrange the fresh pea tendrils all over the pie.

 Cut into square slices and serve.

Notes:

My specialty is thin crust N.Y. style round pizza. That is the style I will be making. Since cooking an 18” round, thin-crust pie in a home oven, requires some specialized equipment, and skills, I tailored the recipe to a much more, home oven friendly version. Feel free to make and shape the pie you wish. 32 oz. of dough will make a perfect 18X12 cookie sheet, grandma pizza. Please contact me if you have any questions.

The dough: Homemade pizza dough is nice. However, it is not necessary. I hear tell, both Trader Joe’s and whole foods sell nice, refrigerated pizza dough.

Cordially,

Will F.