Pizza Fridays: Pizza with Ground Pork, Leeks and Rosemary

I had 8oz of ground pork in the freezer and absolutely no idea what to do with it. Then Coleen posted this Pizza with Ground Lamb, Leeks and Rosemary and I figured I could sub pork for the lamb.

I forgot to season the pork with salt and pepper while it was cooking, but otherwise this was a pretty good pizza. I really enjoyed experimenting with different toppings this winter and I'd definitely make this one again. Now that it's warm I'll be switching to flatbread pizzas or burgers on Fridays since cranking the oven to 550 degrees when it's 90+ outside isn't appealing.

Pizza with Ground Pork, Leeks and Rosemary
Slightly modified from The Reheaded Baker

8 ounces ground pork
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 leek (white and light green parts only), rinsed, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 lb pizza dough
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
Pinch of red pepper flakes
shredded mozzarella
2 stalks fresh rosemary

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and cook, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon or spatula, until fully browned. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the skillet to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain the fat. Wipe out the skillet.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same skillet over medium heat; add the leeks and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are soft, about 8 minutes.

Place a pizza stone in your oven and preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Season the diced tomatoes with pepper and red pepper flakes. Strip the rosemary leaves off of the stems; discard the stems. Roughly chop the leaves.

Lay a sheet of parchment paper the size of your pizza stone on a work surface. Lightly dust with flour. Roll or stretch the dough into a 12- to 14-inch circle on the parchment paper. Spread the tomatoes in a thin layer over the dough, leaving a half-inch margin around the outer edges. Sprinkle half the mozzarella over the tomatoes, then sprinkle on the chopped rosemary.

Transfer the pizza to the hot pizza stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the crust starts to appear dry. Partially remove the pizza from the oven, very carefully sprinkle the ground pork and leeks over the pizza, then sprinkle on the remaining half of the mozzarella cheese. Return the pizza to the oven to bake another 2 to 4 minutes, until the top layer of cheese has melted and the crust is golden brown.

Remove the pizza from the oven, let it cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Pizza Fridays: Chicken Parm Pizza

This is one of those pizzas that came about because of leftovers. I had some leftover crispy chicken from the Crispy Chicken with Egg and Arugula and some grape tomatoes that were starting to get wrinkly. I figured I'd add in the standard pizza sauce and cheese and chicken parm pizza was born.

I had a few mushrooms leftover as well so I added those too, but I'm leaving them off the recipe below since they aren't part of a traditional chicken parm recipe.

Chicken Parm Pizza

1/2 pint grape tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 ball of pizza dough
1/2 cup marinara or pizza sauce
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into slices
1 cup crispy breaded chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
Flour, for dusting and rolling

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Cook for 20 minutes or until browned and bursting.

Place a pizza stone in your oven and turn the oven up to 550 degrees.

Lay a sheet of parchment paper the size of your pizza stone on a work surface. Lightly dust with flour. Roll or stretch the dough into a 12- to 14-inch circle on the parchment paper. Spread the pizza sauce in a thin layer over the dough, leaving a half-inch margin around the outer edges. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the top, then add the pieces of chicken and roasted tomatoes. Top with the sliced fresh mozzarella.

Transfer the pizza to the hot pizza stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

Remove the pizza from the oven, let it cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Pizza Fridays: 3 Cheese Rosemary and Pepperoni Pizza

I've been looking for new pizza recipes lately, so when Coleen mentioned loving Tara's 3 Cheese Rosemary and Pepperoni Pizza I knew I had to try it.

All I can say is stop what you're doing and make this pizza. Now. I had a month's worth of recipes scheduled before I made this and I bumped it to the front of the line because I had to share it with you guys immediately.

This is one gooey, cheesy, delicious pizza. I love the combination of mozzarella, fontina and ricotta. The spicy pepperoni cuts through the richness of the cheese and the rosemary is the perfect final touch. There's nothing more to say - insanely, ridiculously good.

3 Cheese Rosemary and Pepperoni Pizza
As seen on Smells Like Home

Sliced pepperoni
1 ball of pizza dough
1/2 cup marinara or pizza sauce
6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 oz Italian fontina cheese, shredded
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Flour, for dusting and rolling

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 500° F for at least 30 minutes.

Lay three sheets of paper towel on a plate. Top with however much pepperoni you want on your pizza. Cover with three more sheets of paper towel. Place the plate in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds. Check to see how much oil the pepperoni has released, then cook for another 30 seconds. This will release most of the oil onto the paper towels rather than your pizza.

Lay a piece of parchment paper the size of the pizza stone on a work surface. Dust lightly with flour and roll out the pizza dough into a 12- to 14-inch circle. Spoon the sauce evenly over the dough leaving a ½-inch border.

Top with the mozzarella and fontina cheeses. Dollop the ricotta by the tablespoon over the cheese then add pepperoni. Sprinkle the rosemary over the top.

Transfer the pizza on the parchment paper to the pizza stone. Bake for 5-10 minutes, checking often for doneness. Remove the pizza from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Pizza alla Vodka

During the cooler months I make homemade pizza every Friday. I've had my eye on Josie's Pizza alla Vodka for awhile and finally got around to making it recently.

Man, was this good. I probably could have made the vodka sauce a bit spicier, but I was worried it would be too spicy for Baby Girl. The sauce recipe yields a ton so I froze individual portions for future pizzas. We've already had another pizza with the sauce, subbing olives for the tomatoes since Baby Girl is obsessed with black olives. I can't wait to make this with fresh basil once I get my garden going (if this eternal winter ever ends).

Pizza alla Vodka
As seen on Pink Parsley

1 heaping cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of sugar
kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 lb. pizza dough
olive oil, for brushing
2 links spicy Italian sausage
1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place a baking stone on the bottom rack.

Toss the tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and sugar. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet or in a glass baking dish. Roast the tomatoes, stirring every 5 minutes, for 15-20 minutes total. Remove the tomatoes from the oven. If you're like me, allow the tomatoes to cool slightly, then remove the skins. Move the baking stone to the top rack.

In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste, and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vodka and cook an additional 5-8 minutes, remove from heat, and stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.

Remove the sausage from its casings and cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, 5-6 minutes. Drain off fat and set aside.

Sprinkle a large square of parchment paper with flour and roll into a 14-inch round. Brush the edges with olive oil. Spread 1/2 - 3/4 cup of the vodka sauce over the dough. Don't use too much sauce or the pizza will be soggy in the middle. Sprinkle with the mozzarella, followed by the spicy sausage, roasted tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.

Transfer the pizza to the preheated baking stone, and cook 10 minutes, rotating the pizza 180 degrees after 5 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes then sprinkle with the basil, slice, and serve. Pass the extra vodka sauce at the table for dipping.

Pizza Friday: Fig-Prosciutto Pizza with Arugula

In the winter we usually have homemade pizza on Fridays. I buy the dough from a local Italian bakery and Baby Girl helps me roll it out and add the toppings. We usually stick with simple toppings like pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage or black olives (or some combination). It's a lot of fun to involve Baby Girl in the process - she always wants to sample everything and her favorite part is pressing down the dough to get out the air bubbles.

I had some fig jam leftover from the Baguette with Prosciutto, Gorgonzola and Fig Jam I made for New Year's Eve and no idea how to use it. Then I stumbled upon this recipe for Fig-Prosciutto Pizza with Arugula that combined a lot of my favorite ingredients into one pizza.

Baby Girl loved the fig jam straight from the jar but wasn't a fan of the finished pizza. I was also unsure of how I felt about it, although SP loved it. The fig jam is super sweet, the prosciutto is gamey and the arugula tended to fall off as I was eating it. I think this would be good for a party where you're eating smaller pieces - a little goes a long way.

Fig-Prosciutto Pizza with Arugula
Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman)

1 ball pizza dough
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
6 to 8 tablespoons fig spread or jam
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
Freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 bunch washed and rinsed arugula
1 cup shaved Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, with a pizza stone on the oven rack in the lowest position.

Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Drizzle lightly with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Spread the fig spread over the surface of the dough. Lay the slices of mozzarella on top of the jam. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake the pizza until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly, 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and immediately drape the prosciutto slices over the hot pizza. Sprinkle generously with the arugula and Parmesan shavings. Cut into wedges or squares and serve immediately.