If one of your new years resolutions is to cook more, or you just like preparing a flavorful dinner, making a homemade pizza is an excellent place to start. The base of this recipe is the prepared dough sold at Paccini’s front counter, which is just $5 a bag. Our dough is made in house without any strange additives or chemicals- just unbleached flour, yeast, water and salt.
On this new years pizza, try topping it with bacon and sautéed mushrooms. In many cultures, pork is eaten at the beginning of the year because the pig is known to symbolize progress in the New Year. Along side the pizza, serve simple sautéed greens, which are also considered a great way to ring in the New Year because their lush green color represents prosperity.
Bacon and Mushroom Pizza With Sautéed Greens
Ingredients:
Pizza:
1 ball of Paccini pizza dough
flour
3 slices of thick cut bacon
olive oil
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cup of sliced mushrooms (Oregon Chanterelles are delicious, but buttons would also work fine)
½ cup marinara sauce (either store bought or homemade)
fresh mozzarella (ciliegine or any other style sold in water is best)
Greens:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 garlic cloves
4 cups of spinach or other greens
sherry or other wine vinegar
Method
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Remove pizza dough from plastic bag so it can come to room temperature. Flour a dry, clean surface.
Place bacon in a large skillet and bring to a medium heat. After a few minutes (5-10), when the bacon begins to crisp, flip and cook the other sides. When bacon is cooked to your liking, drain on a paper-towel lined plate.
Scoop off all but two tablespoons of bacon grease from the pan and add a tablespoon of olive oil and the red pepper flakes. Bring the pan back to a medium heat, and add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice cooled bacon into small pieces.
When mushrooms are cooked and released their juices, taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Set aside to let cool.
Next, place pizza dough on your floured surface and put flour on a rolling pin and your hands. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle or circle and toss the dough between your hands for a thinner crust. When it is to the thickness and shape of your liking, place the dough on a greased baking sheet.
Top dough with marinara, torn pieces of mozzarella, the bacon and mushrooms, leaving space around the edges. Drizzle olive oil around the edges for a crispy crust.
Bake the pizza in the oven for 10-20 minutes, checking frequently for desired crust.
While pizza is cooking, bring a large skillet with the olive oil up to a medium-high heat. Add sliced garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about thirty seconds. Add spinach, and sauté until wilted (about 5-7 minutes). When it is moist and cooked down, remove from heat and add salt, pepper, and a drizzle of vinegar.
Serve your cooked pizza with the greens, and enjoy your new year!
all environmentally conscious on you. Well actually, with our abundance of organic products including flour, vegetables and more, we’re no stranger to the green scene. But in addition to these efforts, we’ve started a composting program. Our program will reduce garbage by 75%! By doing this, we hope to reduce our impact globally, and become a model for other restaurants in the area and for our customers.
