Take-out Tuesday, Summer Pizzas

the Painted Apron

5 years ago

I hope all the Dad’s had a wonderful Father’s Day~

HHjr took his oldest son and a couple of friends to the beach

Wow, did they catch fish!

Super Boy caught this giant Red Snapper all by himself

A rainy forecast on the coast the weekend before last kept us in “the city”

HHjr said, “Let’s make some pizzas…”

“DD told me they just had an awesome one from Gianmarco’s,

Chilton County Peach & Sausage Pizza with Balsamic Drizzle,” I said,

“Let’s do a knock-off!”

Gianmarco’s is a local {Birmingham} treasure trove of authentic Italian food and they recently opened a pizzeria as well, check out these yummy pizza descriptions:

After looking up their menu on line, I actually called the restaurant and talked to a server who further described the pizza for me

It doesn’t have a sauce, rather the crust is brushed with olive oil and the fresh mozzarella melts down over the crust securing the ingredients

So good!

He also made a pizza with fresh corn, asparagus and Alfredo sauce

And an Italian Meat Lovers with

salami, sausage, prosciutto, marinara and shaved Parmesan

They were all divine!

Sometimes he makes his own dough, but he often buys the fresh dough from Publix and divides it into 3-4 portions to make a variety of pizzas

You can grill or bake the pizzas, I recommend pre-baking* the crust for 5-8 minutes, if baking in the oven, 2-3 minutes per side if grilling, and then add toppings and return to oven for 5-10 more minutes to finish

*If cooking pizzas in a super hot pizza oven, it is not necessary to pre-bake crusts

I recommend you experiment with your equipment and technique before throwing a pizza party as there are a lot of variables

Pizza Party

Prepare crusts and pre-bake ahead of time

You can assemble pizzas ahead of time and refrigerate. Stack them on a baking sheet with sheets of wax paper or parchment paper in between them

OR let everyone help, set out a “buffet of toppings” and let guests top their own

Advance prep will make it possible to get a lot of pizzas cooked in a short time

It’s also fun to have everyone sample each one as it comes out of the oven

Fresh Peach Pizza with Sausage, Prosciutto & Balsamic

Ingredients

fresh pizza dough or naan bread
1-2 fresh ripe peaches peeled and sliced
1/2 pound Italian or pork sausage browned and crumbled
4 oz fresh Mozzarella
2 oz prosciutto
Balsamic glaze
olive oil
salt & pepper
fresh basil for garnish cut into chiffonade

Instructions

Roll out pizza dough, prick all over with a fork and bake* at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes, just until it starts to turn golden. Remove from oven. Brush with a light coating of olive oil and season with salt & pepper
*If grilling, place crust on a clean hot grill just for a minute or 2, and flip to cook the other side
Cut mozzarella into smaller pieces and distribute over crust. Top with peach slices, sausage and torn prosciutto. Return to oven or grill until hot and cheese has melted. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and garnish with fresh basil.

Fresh Corn & Asparagus Pizza Alfredo

Ingredients

fresh pizza dough or naan bread
2 ears of fresh corn kernels cut from cob
10-12 asparagus spears cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup Alfredo sauce
2 oz shaved Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Roll out pizza dough, prick all over with a fork and bake* at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes, just until it starts to turn golden. Remove from oven.
*If grilling, place crust on a clean hot grill just for a minute or 2, and flip to cook the other side
Spread dough with Alfredo sauce and top with corn and asparagus. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle cheese over all. Return to oven or grill until heated through and cheese has melted.

Italian Meat Lover’s Pizza

Ingredients

fresh pizza dough or naan bread
1/2 lb. Italian sausage cooked and crumbled
3 oz. prosciutto torn in strips or pieces
2-3 oz. thin cut salami slices
1/2 cup marinara sauce
3 oz. shaved Parmesan cheese
fresh basil optional

Instructions

Roll out pizza dough, prick all over with a fork and bake* at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes, just until it starts to turn golden. Remove from oven.
*If grilling, place crust on a clean hot grill just for a minute or 2, and flip to cook the other side.
Spread crust with marinara sauce and top with cheese, then meats. Return to oven or grill to heat through, crisp meats, and melt cheese. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

Please note: Cooking times will vary according to oven or grill, thickness of crust etc. Watch pizzas carefully until you learn the timing of this method