Pizza is served for a Meatless Monday dinner with this recipe from Pizza, Seasonal Recipes from Rome’s Legendary Pizzarium (Rizzoli USA, October 2013) by Gabriele Bonci.
Pizza with Potatoes, Eggplant Puree, Buffalo Mozzarella, and Rosemary Ash
• 1 (12-ounce / 350-gram) ball White Pizza Dough (page 60)
• Extra-virgin olive oil to taste
• 10 ounces (300 grams) yellow potatoes, such as Yukon golds, boiled and peeled
• 1 pound (500 grams) eggplant
• Fine sea salt to taste
• 10 ounces (300 grams) buffalo mozzarella• Sweet paprika to taste
• 1 sprig rosemary, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 450˚F to 475˚F (220˚C to 250˚C).
Stretch out the dough and place it in a well-oiled pan. With your hands, crush the potatoes and scatter the pieces over the dough.
Bake the pizza until golden brown and well-risen, about 25 minutes.
While the pizza is baking, wrap the eggplant in aluminum foil.
Place the foil-wrapped eggplant directly on top of the burner on a gas stove (if you don’t have a gas stove, use a grill or broiler) and cook for 8 minutes on each side, or until the eggplant is charred and very soft. Open the foil, cut the eggplant in half, and use a spoon to scoop out the cooked eggplant pulp.
Remove the pizza from the oven and spread the eggplant over the surface. Season with salt. Tear the cheese with your hands and scatter it over the eggplant. Season with a little paprika.
Place a square of aluminum foil on the counter. Place the rosemary sprig directly over the gas burner, turning it frequently so that it doesn’t burn but the leaves char. This should take about 1 minute. Remove the charred rosemary from the flame and place it on top of the foil. Some of the charred leaves should fall onto the foil. If not, shake the sprig a little. Sprinkle a bit of this rosemary ash over the pizza. (Don’t overdo it or the pizza will taste too smoky.) Season with pepper and serve immediately.
(* Recipe reproduced with permission from Pizza, Seasonal Recipes from Rome’s Legendary Pizzarium by Gabriele Bonci– Rizzoli USA, October 2013- all rights reserved)