Pizza Sauces and Toppings

Stop the pizza delivery man, for ever! Unless? it?s being delivered directly from Sicily.

I am sure that if you try this homemade pizza you will never buy into any impersonator again.

Although most of us think of pizza as a round pie colored in red and white, pizza like pasta comes in different shapes, different thicknesses, with different crust, and different sauces or toppings, it?s pretty versatile. What is Pizza, but a piece of bread with anything you like on it. You may as well describe it or liken it to an open  face sandwich, except more scrumptious.

On some of my other pages I try to educate and encourage my readers to be creative and, that options are endless, as long as recipes are not crowded with many superfluous ingredients and as long as you keep it simple.  I repeat again, that the simpler you keep the ingredients the more delectable the dish. This is is the essence of the Sicilian Cuisine. Also, more is not necessarily better, but a formula for messing up a dish.

I?m going to give you ideas here, of different toppings you can use on a pizza. I have already talked about the easiest way of preparing Pizza Dough, now I?ll provide you with toppings and sauces that could be used on a Pizza besides tomato and cheese.

First, let me say that in Sicily or for that matter in all of Italy you will never see a pizza as it is made here in the USA, smothered in sauce and topped with 1 pound of cheese, or better with elastic string that we refer to as cheese.

As you will notice from the photographs in this recipe page, the pizza is not smothered in  red sauce, and cheese is used sparingly. The reason is, that the taste does not come from those two ingredients but from the right blend of flavors. So, when you try your own concoction of ingredients, keep that in mind, find flavors that complement each other.

Now, please entertain my thought and try my simplest recipe below and let me know if I am correct in claiming what I state. I have talked about Tomato Sauce and the best tomatoes, in other pages. Start with a good base, if tomatoes are delicious than the sauce is delicious. Also use real cheese, not the cheap shredded mozzarella or any other cheese preserved in a plastic bag.

In conclusion, check out my Pizza Dough recipe and my Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe if you want great results.

Use the Pizza Dough recipe to make the pizza pie for these great  pizza toppings.

Again, don?t stop here try your own toppings.

The recipes below happen to be some of my favorite toppings. As I make and photograph new pizza toppings I will make additions to this page.

Keep posted.

All the amounts of ingredients below are for a 16 inch pie. Adjust the amounts according to size.

Yields 1-16 inch pie

Ingredients

TOMATO, GARLIC

1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 San Marzano tomatoes directly from a can and shredded

tomato, garlic

into bits with your hands, no need to cook

1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 San Marzano tomatoes directly from a can and shredded

Directions

Preheat oven at 500º

With the help of some dry flour, stretch the Pizza Dough over the

pizza pan covered with parchment paper

Pour the Olive Oil and brush the whole pie with it

Place the shredded tomatoes on the pie making sure it covers the pie evenly

Place the garlic slices evenly over the pie

Sprinkle the salt and sugar over it

Sprinkle the Parmiggiano Reggiano

Place the basil evenly over the pie

hot pepper if desired

Bake at 500º for about 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden and crust is fully cooked

Ingredients

ONION, ANCHOVY, BLACK OLIVES

1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Medium Onions

Onion, Black Olives, Anchovy

2 tsp sugar

2-2oz cans anchovy

24 black olives

1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

Hot pepper optional

Directions

Preheat oven at 500º

In a frying pan saute onions in olive oil on medium flame, add the sugar to it

When onions are soft take off flame and set aside

With the help of some dry flour, stretch the Pizza Dough over the pizza pan covered with parchment paper

Coat the Pizza Dough with the oil used in sauteing the onion

Place the anchovy, the onion and the black olives on the Pizza Dough arranged at your pleasure

Sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano

Optional crushed red pepper if you like it spicy

Bake at 500º for about 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden and crust is fully cooked

Ingredients

BROCCOLI, ROASTED RED PEPPERS, MUSHROOMS, MOZZARELLA CHEESE

1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup steamed broccoli

broccoli, red peppers, mushrooms, mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup roasted red peppers cut in strips or chopped

1 ball of 80-100 grams of fresh Mozzarella Cheese chopped

2 tbsp Parmiggiano Reggiano

4 garlic cloves sliced optional

hot pepper optional

Directions

Preheat oven at 500º

With the help of some dry flour, stretch the Pizza Dough over the pizza pan covered with parchment paper

Coat the Pizza Dough with the olive oil

Place the broccoli, red peppers, mushroom and garlic on the pizza

Place the mozzarella evenly over the pizza

Sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano

Optional crushed red pepper if you like it spicy

Bake at 500º for about 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden and crust is fully cooked

Ingredients

4 SEASONS

1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 San Marzano tomatoes directly from a can and shredded into bits with your hands. No need to cook

1/8 cup chopped ham

1/8 cup chopped hard boiled egg

4 Seasons

1/8 cup chopped steamed mushrooms

1/8 cup chopped steamed artichokes

1/8 cup chopped anchovy

1/8 cup black olives

basil leaves

1 ball of 80-100 grams of fresh Mozzarella Cheese chopped

2 tbsp Parmiggiano Reggiano

garlic cloves sliced optional

hot pepper optional

Directions

Preheat oven at 500º

With the help of some dry flour, stretch the Pizza Dough over the pizza pan covered with parchment paper

Coat the Pizza Dough with the olive oil

Place the tomatoes on the pie spread evenly

Make an imaginary line that divides the pizza in 4 quarters

On the first quarter, place the Mozzarella evenly over the pizza

On the second quarter, place the ham and egg

On the third quarter, place the mushroom and artichokes

On the fourth quarter, place the anchovy and black olives

Sprinkle the Parmiggiano Reggiano over the whole pizza and the basil leaves.

The garlic cloves and hot pepper if desired

Bake at 500º for about 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden and crust is fully cooked

Tips

The longer you cook the pizza pie, the crispier the crust will be, the less you cook it, the softer it will stay.

Stick a small pot of water in your oven as in step 6 below, to produce moisture, you?ll get a better crust.

Use parchment paper over your pizza pan, it will prevent pizza from sticking to bottom.

Do not worry about the oil you brush on the pie, it will not give you a greasy pie, but a nice flaky, crispy crust. Normally what makes the pie greasy is the grease released by the excessive cheese one puts on it.

Pizza making step 2

Pizza making step 3

Pizza making step 4

Pizza making step 5

Pizza making step 6

Pizza making step 7