Have you ever made Ina Garten’s “Weeknight Bolognese?”  If you haven’t, I highly recommend it.  It’s easy enough for a weeknight meal, but delicious enough to make for company.  When you make it, save about a cup of the meat sauce to make this delectable pizza.  You won’t be sorry.

Please note, the dough recipe makes two crusts—you will only need one crust for this recipe.  Use the remaining crust to make a different pizza or save it (in the refrigerator or freezer) for another occasion.  Or, of course, you could make two Bolognese Pizzas—just double the amount of cheese and basil called for.

 

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup water

3 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for greasing the parchment paper

Weeknight Bolognese Sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded fontina cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Make the crust: Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Add the water and olive oil and mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth, elastic ball, 2-3 minutes.  Divide the dough in half and shape each half into round, flat disks.   Wrap each disk loosely in plastic wrap and let them rest in a warm place for at least 15 minutes.  (This step can be done in advance.)  While the dough rests, brush the tops of 4 sheets of parchment paper with olive oil.  Unwrap each disk of dough and place it onto the oiled side of one piece of parchment paper.   Top the dough with the remaining pieces of parchment paper, oiled sides down.  You should have two parchment paper-dough sandwiches.  Using your hands, gently press and spread the dough until it’s about 1/8 of an inch thick.  You decide the shape (circle, rectangle, oval, giant uneven blob—it’s your creation).  Remove the top piece of parchment paper and place the dough (still resting on the bottom piece of parchment paper) in the oven on a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet.  Bake for 5 minutes, then remove the dough from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes.  You can repeat this step with the second disk of dough, or you can save it for another occasion.

3. Spread the Bolognese sauce on the surface of the pizza crust, then top it with the three cheeses.

4. Transfer the pizza on an inverted baking sheet or pizza peel and slide it into the oven and onto the pre-heated pizza stone or inverted baking sheet. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is beginning to brown.

5. Sprinkle the chopped basil over the pizza, slice it, and serve immediately.

Serves 6

 

 

Carpenter, Maile.  “Thin & Crispy Pizza,” Foodnetwork Magazine.  New York: Hearst Communications, Inc., October 2016.  Page 77.

Garten, Ina.  “Weeknight Bolognese.”  Foodnetwork.com.  Retrieved from: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/weeknight-bolognese-recipe-1924746.