Spicy Pizza with Garlic Confit & Pesto

Pizza, salad and a glass (or two) of red wine and I am a happy girl. For my pizza, I like simple toppings, a delicious crust and just a small amount of sauce and cheese. And I am one of those people that likes cold and crisp salad paired with the hot pizza. Literally paired...as in pile the salad on top of the pizza. Does that sound weird?

I discovered this pizza at at Italian restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico a couple of weeks ago and decided I needed to recreate it for myself. Very thin crust spread with a smidge of very flavorful tomato sauce and fresh buffalo cheese, topped with garlic confit, roasted jalapeno peppers and then drizzled with olive oil and basil pesto.  So delicious. This one is a keeper!

Spicy Pizza with Garlic Confit & Pesto

1 head garlic
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 small jalapeno pepper, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 750 g (26.46 oz) box Italian chopped tomatoes (I like the Pomi brand)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 14 inch pizza crust (dough recipe here) or high quality store bought
8 oz buffalo mozzarella, sliced
basil pesto (recipe follows)
sea salt
black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Peel garlic from head and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, a pinch each salt and pepper and the red pepper flakes. Heat over medium-low heat for 45 minutes or until the garlic is very soft and spreadable. Let cool in oil. Set aside.

Add jalapeno to pie plate and roast in oven 5 minutes or until soft. Do not let brown. Remove from oven and set aside. Do not turn off oven.

Saute onion in 1 tbsp olive oil in medium saucepan until translucent. Add tomatoes, oregano and small pinch each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes or until slightly thickened. Set aside.

Assembly:
Add dough ball to lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll into a 14 inch circle. (It does not have to be perfect. A rustic look is more authentic.) Roll the dough up around the rolling pin to make it easier to move. Unroll the dough onto a pizza stone or baking sheet which has been lightly oiled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with coarse cornmeal. (the cornmeal adds a delicious flavor and helps ensure the pizza dough will not stick to pan.)  Prick dough with a fork all over and bake 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread 1 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce over dough. Cover with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with the jalapeno and drizzle pesto over pizza. Top with the garlic confit and place pizza in preheated oven. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven and drizzle a little of the oil from the confit over the pizza. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Pesto
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 oz parmigiano-reggiano cheese, cut into 2 pieces
2 garlic cloves
1 fresh red cayenne pepper (or other fresh hot red pepper), seeded
5 cups basil leaves (packed)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Toast pine nuts in skillet until just beginning to brown.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Add cheese to food processor fitted with the chopping/mixing blade.  Process until cheese is grated.  Add cooled pine nuts, garlic and red pepper and process until all ingredients are finely grated.  Add half of basil leaves, and 1/4 cup olive oil and process until smooth but with a bit of texture. Add remaining basil, remaining olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Process until well mixed.  Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

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Other Pizza recipes you may enjoy:

• pizza with spicy pumpkin sauce, black beans and fresh corn
• pizza with sundried tomatoes, red pepper & corn 
• pizza with kale & walnut pesto, sundried tomatoes pesto & pickled garlic 

Winter means comfort food at Food Network and this week we are celebrating Pizza. Do you have a favorite pizza recipe? Share in the comments section and/or link to your blog if you have one. And be sure to check out the delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network. 

Dishin & Dishes: Crab Rangoon Pizza Flatbread
Daisy at Home: Mini Pizza Bites
The Cultural Dish: Mini Eggplant Pizzas
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Spicy Pizza with Garlic Confit & Pesto
Red or Green: Tostada Pizza
Swing Eats: Mini Deep Dish Polenta Pizzas (Gluten-Free)
Weelicious: Quilt Pizza
Taste with the Eyes: Pretty Little Cast Iron Skillet Pizzas
The Mom 100: Two-Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Naan Pizza
FN Dish: 6 Newfangled Ways to Get Your Pizza Fix

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

red or green? 

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove
please follow me on Facebook

I have started sharing my newest blog "California Girl in Taos."  Please visit and let me know what you think.

Lasagne al Forno with Chard & Mushrooms

I am not a fan of American-style lasagna. Heavy, ricotta cheese-laden, huge portions. Not my style. But the Italians? Now that is a different story. Their version (lasagne in Italian) is completely different. Light and delicious.  Sauced...but not too much. Less cheese. Maybe some vegetables. This style is the only type I make. BTW, "al forno" means baked in Italian. So when you see al forno pasta dishes on menus it means some type of baked in the oven pasta.

I spent Christmas week at my sister's home in Seal Beach California. 70 degrees on Christmas day with a long walk on the beach was lovely. Then my sister, brother-in-law and twin nephews spent New Year's week at our home in Taos. Cold, snow, skiing, eating, talking, laughing. What a perfect holiday season. My nephews are 18 years old, tall (6'5) and thin. The thin part is surprising because they eat more than the rest of us combined. The night they arrived I wanted delicious food and plenty of it. My menu included a salad, garlic bread, pesto baked chicken and my lasagne recipe. The lasagne included marinara sauce, bechamel, sauteed greens and mushrooms.You wanna know how I know the recipe was a hit? I woke up the next morning to witness one boy eating a big piece of leftover lasagne cold out of the refrigerator. This was his pre-breakfast "snack"! He said, "This is really good Auntie. I don't even need to heat it".

So, I have a confession. Not only did I use packaged dry noodles, I used the "oven-ready" kind. Italian cookbooks state the best lasagne recipes use freshly made noodles. I do not disagree, however, when pressed for time, the oven-ready version made a surprisingly light and airy casserole. The beauty is, of course, that you do not have to precook the noodles. And, while I used some frozen marinara sauce from the freezer that I made last summer, excellent quality jarred sauce works perfectly also. Most purchased jars contain 25 ounces which is a little less than called for, but the final result is just fine. I love it when shortcuts actually work. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Lasagne al Forno with Chard & Mushrooms
(serves 6 as a main course, 8-10 as a first course)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet white onion, chopped
1 head Swiss chard, center ribs chopped into 1/2 pieces, leaves torn into large pieces
8 oz sliced baby portabello mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
3 1/2 cups marinara sauce (homemade or best quality jarred)
2 1/2 cups bechamel sauce (recipe follows)
1 1/2 cups parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
1 package oven-ready lasagne ( I used Barilla  n.399)
sea salt
black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, saute onion and chard ribs in olive oil over medium-high heat until soft. Add chard leaves and mushrooms and continue cooking until mushrooms are soft and beginning to brown and chard leaves are wilted. (5-7 minutes) Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for an additional minute. Season with salt & pepper and remove from heat.  Set aside.

Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover the bottom of the pan with 1 cup marinara sauce and 1/2 cup bechamel sauce. Top with 3 sheets of lasagne noodles. (the noodles will expand to the edges during cooking). Spread 1/3 chard mixture over noodles. Cover with 1/2 cup marinara and 1/2 cup bechamel sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of cheese over sauce. Repeat with 3 additional noodles and the chard, sauce and cheese layers continuing until all ingredients are used ensuring the top is well coated with cheese.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until lasagne is hot and cheese is bubbling and browned. Remove from oven, allow to rest for 10-15 minutes and serve.

Bechamel Sauce

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
3 tbsp flour
2 cups whole milk
nutmeg
sea salt
pepper (white if possible)

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add the shallot and saute over medium heat until soft. Reduce the heat to low. Whisk in flour, stirring until just beginning to turn golden brown. Whisk in milk and a pinch each salt and pepper. 

Cook sauce over medium heat, stirring constantly, until beginning to thicken. Season to taste with nutmeg and additional salt and pepper if needed. Continue cooking until it is as thick as you like. I cook until the consistency of heavy cream for the lasagne.

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Winter means comfort food at Food Network and this week we are celebrating Casseroles. Do you have a favorite casserole recipe? Share in the comments section and/or link to your blog if you have one. And be sure to check out the delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network. 

The Cultural Dish: Mediterranean Fish Casserole
The Heritage Cook: Arroz Con Pollo Casserole (Gluten-Free)
The Wimpy Vegetarian: Baked Artichoke Radicchio Risotto with Lemon-Caper Breadcrumbs
Taste with the Eyes: Mini Shrimp and Grits Casseroles
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Lasagne al Forno with Chard & Mushrooms
Red or Green: Pasta "al forno" Casserole with Mushrooms, Peppers & Vegetables
Swing Eats: Pastitsio: A Delicious Greek Pasta Casserole (gluten-free)
Virtually Homemade: Tamale Pie
Weelicious: Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Haute Apple Pie: Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Domesticate Me: Baked Orzo with Turkey Sausage, Broccolini and Fontina
FN Dish: 5 Hearty Casseroles Ready to Warm You Up

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

red or green? 

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove
please follow me on Facebook

I have started sharing my newest blog "California Girl in Taos."  Please visit and let me know what you think.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

I know, I know...does the world need another recipe for spaghetti and meatballs?  Google alone had over 1,880,000 results when I checked this morning. But I really, really like my version...a combination of my Mom's recipe with my tweaks. And it occurred to me that, after six years of blogging, I have never shared this beloved, comfort-food-at-its-best, dish at Napa Farmhouse 1885.

My mom's meatballs are very similar to mine but she cooks her sauce all day. She starts in the morning...lets it simmer all day...and she does not finish the meatballs in the sauce. She uses the oven method. She cooks the pasta, adds meatballs (she makes really big ones so people normally need just 1 or 2) and she then ladles the sauce over everything. I like the fresher tasting, quicker version sauce to balance out the "meatiness" of the meatballs and I really like finishing the pasta in the tomato sauce. When I make my mom's sauce (will share one day) I either keep it vegetarian or make it a meat sauce by adding ground sirloin at the beginning and let it simmer all day with the rest of the ingredients. My grandmother's sauce was different from both my mom's and mine. I love the way the generations adapt but honor the family recipes.

My grandmother's, my mom's and my sauce recipes are all a little bit different...but equally delicious. Give my version a try and please let me know what you think in the comments section of this post. And, while you are at it, tell me how you make spaghetti & meatballs?

Spaghetti & Meatballs
(serves 4- 6)

1 recipe meatballs (recipe follows)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 26.4 oz box chopped Pomi tomatoes
2 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 lb spaghetti or perciatelli pasta
sea salt
Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated or shredded, for topping pasta

For the sauce
Use the skillet from making the meatballs...You want all the flavor from the oil and bits of meat. Add the additional tbsp of olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, saute for an additional minute (do not let garlic brown). Add the tomatoes, parsley, wine, pinch of salt and cooked meatballs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Season with small handful of salt. Add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than package directs. Drain the pasta and add to the cooked sauce. Stir in and cook an additional minute. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately with plenty of parmigiano-reggiano for topping the pasta.

For the Meatballs
(makes 28)

1 lb ground chuck
3/4 lb Italian sausage (I use hot but you can use mild if you prefer a less spicy meatball) casings removed
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup whole wheat panko crumbs
2 tbsp grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Add all ingredients to large bowl and, using your hands, mix just until incorporated. Do not over mix. Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to create 28 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Roll lightly between your hands to form the balls.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the meatballs and cook for 5 minutes or until browned. Turn and cook an additional 5 minutes. If you are making the Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe stop cooking at this point. If you want the meatballs without sauce, place the browned meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in 375 degree preheated oven for 15- 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees when pierced with a meat thermometer. (do not clean the skillet if you are making the red sauce!)

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Other pasta dishes you may enjoy:

• pasta with italian sausage & peppers
• wild mushroom pappardelle "bolognese"
• fusilli with roasted delicata squash & fresh sage brown butter
• blt pasta

Visit the Recipe Index page for the full list of pasta recipes

It is "Clean Out the Pantry Night" week at Food Network's Sensational Sides roundup. Check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends. Do you have a favorite pantry recipe? Feel free to share in the comments section or link to your blog if you have one. Recipes will be posted at noon on Thursday.

Here is the full schedule for #SensationalSides:

April

3: Clean out the pantry night

10: Kid-Friendly

17: Easy Easter Side

24: Something mashed

May

1: Salad (Lettuces)

8: Cheesy

15: No-cook

Feed Me Phoebe: Artichoke Hummus
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Red or Green: Sea Bass with Spicy Asian Ginger Sauce
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Quinoa Citrus Mango Avocado Black Bean Salad
The Heritage Cook: Chile Tortilla Soup
Cooking With Elise: Glorious Greek Salad Dressing
Devour: Clean Out the Pantry Night
Weelicious: Greek Nachos
Virtually Homemade: Garlic Rosemary Pizza Crust Bites
Domesticate Me: Fiesta Baked Eggs with Farro and Black Beans
Taste With The Eyes: Mom's Vintage Potato Salad
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Rice and Beans Casserole
The Sensitive Epicure: Salmon and Brown Rice Casserole (Gluten-Free)
Daily*Dishin: Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pasta with Crunchy Roasted Black Beans
FN Dish: Pantry Clean-Out Sides

best,

diane
napa farmhouse 1885

red or green?
california girl in taos
MoseyLove!

please follow me on facebook

I have started sharing my Taos experiences on my newest blog "California Girl in Taos". Please visit and let me know what you think.

Seafood Stew (no potatoes)

Last week, over at my Red or Green? blog, I told the story of how my family serves Mexican food every Christmas eve. This has been going on for thirty years. Before that we always had Italian food. We are spending this Christmas at our home in Taos, New Mexico and...since I eat New Mexican food a couple times a week here...I am bringing back the Italian food tradition for just this year.

Italians traditionally eat seafood on Christmas eve. The Feast of the Seven Fishes, (festa dei sette pesci), as it is called is usually a huge celebration with multi-courses  featuring seafood. This is a tradition symbolizing the breaking of the fast where Roman Catholics used to "give up" meat prior to celebrations. This celebration commemorates the wait, the Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. (wikipedia)

This stew contains 3 types of seafood; shrimp, cod and halibut or flounder. Feel free to add or substitute your favorite fish. Lobster, mussels, clams and any type firm white fish would work well. And, because I am not a fan of potatoes in a red sauce based fish stew, I used fennel and kale instead. I really like the result.

The rest of my Christmas eve menu will include mussels and clams in garlic broth, seafood salad (this will equal my "seven" types of fish) and a vegetarian pasta dish for the non-seafood eaters. I am really looking forward to this meal. Oh, FYI, this stew is delicious year round as a first course or main dish. Serve with the toasted bread (bruschetta) & a green salad and dinner is ready. Enjoy!

Seafood Stew (no potatoes)
(serves 4)

8 oz fresh shrimp (peeled & deveined)
8 oz fresh cod fillets
8 oz fresh skinless halibut or flounder fillets
Kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1/2 fennel bulb (use the white bulb, the green stalks and the feathery ferny tops), chopped. Reserve 1 tbsp chopped ferny tops
4 garlic cloves, peeled. Chop 3 cloves, leave 1 whole
2 cups fish stock, homemade or excellent quality purchased
1 cup dry white wine
26.46 oz box Italian chopped plum tomatoes (I like the Pomi brand)
1/2 bunch lacinato kale, stemmed and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 tbsp sweet Spanish paprika
1/2-1 tsp dried red pepper flakes (depending on how much heat you want)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
sourdough or whole wheat baguette, sliced

Place the fish and shrimp on a rimmed dish, like a pie plate. Season with 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt.

Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add 2 tbsp olive oil and the onion and fennel. Saute, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook an additional minute. Add fish stock, wine, tomatoes, kale, paprika, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper to pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Raise heat to medium. Add seafood to stockpot, stir and cook for 5-6 minutes or until shrimp turns pink and fish is just cooked through. Taste broth and adjust seasonings if desired.

Place bread on baking sheet and place under broiler. Cook on both sides. Remove from oven and immediately rub whole peeled garlic clove over each slice. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Serve stew in large soup/stew bowls. Drizzle with olive oil and top with a pinch of the chopped fennel tops. Pass the bread to dip in the flavorful broth.
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Merry Christmas everyone!

diane
napa farmhouse 1885

red or green?
california girl in taos
please follow me on facebook

I have started sharing my Taos experiences on my newest blog "California Girl in Taos". Please visit and let me know what you think.