Pepperoni-Mozzarella Pull Apart Bread

    Pizza.........one of humanity's great inventions!  And pepperoni pizza.......one of my kids' favorites!  So, when I saw this recipe on Facebook awhile ago, I knew I had to give it a try!   Balls of pizza dough dipped in a flavored oil, layered with lots of mozzarella and pepperoni and served with pizza sauce for dipping......really??  Did I have a choice?  This recipe has been calling to me for a few weeks now and finally  made it onto the table, or should I say, the t.v. trays in the living room. (We enjoyed it during a recent "movie night".)  It's really delicious.........filled with salty, cheesy, garlicky goodness!  And it's fun to eat......just pull off pieces and enjoy!  No fork or knife required!

Pepperoni-Mozzarella Pull Apart Bread
    (posted on Facebook.....sorry, I'm unsure where the original recipe came from)

1/3 cup flavored dipping oil (store-bought or homemade....recipe I used is below)

2 tsp. garlic powder

2# pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)

7 oz. pkg. sliced pepperoni

8 oz. shredded mozzarella

Marinara or Pizza Sauce, for dipping (recipe I used is below)

Herb-Olive Oil Dip  (from Carrabba's Italian Grill)

1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped Italian parsley

3/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh basil

3/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. granulated garlic

1/8 tsp. crushed hot red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pizza Sauce   (adapted from the More-with-Less Cookbook)

1 small onion, chopped

2 (8oz.) cans tomato sauce

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried basil

dash of black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

To make the flavored oil, mix all the herbs together in a small bowl.  Pour the oil in and stir to combine.

To make the pizza sauce, combine all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thick.  Discard the bay leaf.



O.k........now gather all of your ingredients, along with a bundt pan.  Divide the pepperoni and the cheese into two equal portions and the pizza dough into three equal portions.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Tear one portion of dough into bite-size pieces. Toss each piece around in the flavored oil and place in the bottom of the bundt pan.  Then layer one portion of pepperoni on top of the dough.

 I know it looks like an excessive amount of pepperoni in relation to the dough, but don't worry.....the dough will rise while baking and fill up the pan.

Next, layer one portion of the cheese over the pepperoni and sprinkle with half of the garlic powder.

Now, repeat the layers, ending with the last of the dough pieces. (Make sure you've tossed all the dough pieces into the oil before layering.)

The pan should now be about 2/3 full.  Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until nice and brown and bubbly. 

 Let it sit for a couple minutes and then carefully run a rubber spatula around the edges to make sure it's loosened from the pan.  Invert onto a serving plate and get ready for a treat!  We ate this with a simple bistro-style salad and pizza sauce on the side. AWESOME!!  



         Printable Recipe

   

Rosemary and Currant Biscotti

    This is the time when all good Italians are getting their gardens in order......loosening up the soil and planting the seedlings they've started inside over the previous months.  Well, all good Italians but me, it seems.  I mentioned, in an earlier post, that only time will tell if I've inherited the "gardening gene" or not.  Well.....still yet to be seen, folks.  I'm in the beginning stages of learning and always seem to be a little behind where I would like to be.  I have yet to start my plants from seeds indoors but, instead, make trips to  local nurseries to choose the vegetables I want to transplant into my garden.  Let's face it....life gets pretty busy sometimes.  So, for now, I'm satisfied with getting a little jump start from Lowe's or Home Depot.

    Something else I like to grow, besides vegetables, are herbs, which brings me to today's post.  There's something wonderful about being able to step outside your back door and pick a handful of freshness to add to the evening meal.  Besides using fresh herbs in savory dishes, I also enjoy combining them with things that are sweet.  I just think there's something unusual and a little sophisticated about pairing the two together.  Today's recipe is a good example of that.....Rosemary and Currant Biscotti. 

    Rosemary is one of the most common herbs used in Italian cooking.  It has a rather "piney" aroma and taste that goes really well with the sweetness of the currants in these cookies.  They're great for a snack or a light dessert.   (How about a scoop of lemon sorbet on the side?)  If you've never tried fresh herbs in your baked goods, give it a try.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Rosemary and Currant Biscotti        (35-40)
       (recipe from "The Comfort Table" by Katie Lee)

3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 1/2 tblsp. finely chopped rosemary
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried currants 

Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and chopped rosemary.

Beat the butter and sugar together with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each one.  Then beat in the vanilla.

Gently stir in the flour mixture and then the currants.

Divide the dough in half and form each half into a log 12"x1/2"x1" high.  Place them onto a parchment-lined sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees until the logs are just starting to brown at the edges, about 35 minutes.

Cool the logs, on the sheet, for a few minutes.  Then cut them into diagonal slices, about 1/2 " wide.

Place the slices back on the sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes. Turn and bake another 7-10 minutes or until they've reached the desired crispness.  Let them cool for a few minutes and transfer to a rack.  Store airtight up to 2 weeks.

Printable recipe

 



    
   

Prosciutto Wrapped Lamb Burgers

    So, right about now everyone's starting to think about firing up that grill, right?  Well, this little twist on a regular burger would be great for a barbecue!  Pop it into a nice, crusty Italian roll....delicious!!  Now, it's still been a little chilly here, so I cooked my burgers in a pan on top of the stove, but you can bet these will be finding their way onto our grill as the weather warms up!  I like to serve these with a salad of fresh tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and basil with some olive oil, salt and pepper.  And, to make them extra yummy, I drizzle them with some balsamic glaze! 

Prosciutto Wrapped Lamb Burgers             (serves 4)
(recipe very slightly adapted from "Giada's Kitchen" by Giada de Laurentiis)

1/2 cup plain, dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tblsp. whole milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3/4 tsp. each, salt and black pepper

1 pound ground lamb
4 large slices prosciutto, sliced med. thin
1/4 cup olive oil

Place the first eight ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.

Add the ground lamb and mix gently, with your fingers, until it's incorporated.

Divide the mixture into 4 portions and form into 1" thick burgers.  Place one burger in the center of each piece of prosciutto and wrap it around the burger.

Place a large, heavy pan over medium heat.  Add the olive oil and heat for about 2 minutes.  (Or you can heat up your grill to medium.)

Place the burgers in the pan, prosciutto-covered side down, and cook until the prosciutto is golden, 6-8 minutes.  Turn and finish cooking, 6-8 minutes more.

Serve these in a nice, crusty Italian roll or on their own with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and a fresh tomato and cucumber salad.  These have a really rich and delicious taste....a great departure from the usual beef burger.....the perfect thing to start off the grilling season!

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Paccheri al Cardinale

                                                                                   
    I've been told that, as a little girl, I had quite a flare for the "dramatic".  If I would begin to carry on about one thing or another, my mom would give me a little look and say, "Alright Sarah".  Why "Sarah", you ask?  After all, that's not my name.  Well, she was referring to Sarah Bernhardt, who was considered the greatest French actress of the later 19th century and one of the best-known figures in the history of the stage.  She had a reputation as a serious dramatic actress.  Now, even as a child, I knew I wasn't  being complimented.  The real message was "Tone it down a little" or "You're being a little over dramatic".

    Today, as an adult, I still enjoy drama, if done well and love things that have something special or unique about them.  This recipe encompasses all of that.  Although I've made and eaten a lot of pasta, in my day, I've never seen any pasta dish done this way before.  Pasta is tossed with a basic tomato sauce, several cheeses, and fresh basil.  Then it's covered with a layer of parchment paper and baked in the oven.  When it comes out, the parchment is cut open and the pasta is served with dollops of fresh ricotta....YUM!

     The recipe comes from a cookbook called "Donatella Cooks" by Donatella Arpaia.  Paccheri is one variety of huge cut pasta.  It's kind of like rigatoni on steroids....talk about drama!  Al Cardinale refers to a cardinal; a senior official in the Roman Catholic church.  According to the author, they eat better than anyone in Italy, including kings.  Well, if it's good enough for cardinals and kings......it's good enough for me AND YOU!  This pasta is delicious, unique and, yes, a little dramatic.  You have to try this one!

Paccheri al Cardinale                     (serves 4-6)

3/4 cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves, chopped
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound paccheri or rigatoni
1/2 cup grated pecorino
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
20 basil leaves, cut into slivers
1 cup fresh ricotta  (I used more)

    To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until very hot but not smoking.  Add the garlic and saute about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.  Then season with the salt and pepper.

Turn the heat to low and simmer, partly covered, about 30 minutes, until thick. ( Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.  Cook the paccheri until not quite al dente.....mine took about 10 minutes.)

Once the sauce has thickened, add all the grated cheeses and stir until the mozzarella melts.

Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Add the drained paccheri to the sauce and toss to coat.

Transfer everything to a 4 qt. casserole that has been oiled.  Cover the whole thing with parchment paper, tucking it into the sides of the dish.  Bake for about 20 minutes, until the pasta is piping hot.

Now, for a little DRAMA!  Bring the dish to the table, cut an "X" in the parchment and gently tear back the points....be careful....steam is hot!  Spoon some of the yummy ricotta onto each serving.

Note:  Next time I'll add some extra cheese on the top of the pasta before I cover it with the parchment, just for a little more cheesy goodness and a little more drama!

 

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