Gourmet Pizza

Last week, I gave you my recipe for a really great pizza dough, however I didn't give you any actual pizza recipes. Now I'm back to do just that.

Starting off, there are 4 foundations I use on my pizzas:

• traditional red pizza sauce
• white sauce (garlic aioli)
• basil pesto sauce
• extra virgin olive oil

Let's get to it:

• Traditional Pizza Sauce (1 serving):

** I don't cook my pizza sauce. I think it dulls the brightness of the tomato. I like to dress my pizza with a cold sauce, and let the sauce cook while the pizza does.

San Marzano Tomatoes (whole, crushed) - 2.5 cups
Tomato Puree - 1 cup
Fresh Garlic (minced) - 3 cloves
Oregano (dried) - 1 tablespoons
Basil (fresh, chopped) - 2 tablespoons
Salt - 1 tablespoon
White pepper - 2 teaspoons
Crushed red pepper - 3 teaspoons

Method: Put in food processor, and puree until smooth. Let it sit overnight in order for flavors to marry and reach their full potential flavor.

• White Sauce [Garlic Aioli] (1 serving):

** A traditional aioli uses egg yolk and Dijon mustard. I like to simplify it and use store-bought mayonnaise instead. I also like to make a little extra, and reserve some of this to dip the crust into. It's awesome.

Mayonnaise - 4 cups
Garlic (minced) - 4 tablespoons
Water - 2 tablespoons
Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
Salt - 2 teaspoons
White pepper - 1 teaspoon

Method: Combine in food processor and pulse until combined.

• Basil Pesto (1 serving):

** I use walnuts in my pesto instead of the usual pine nuts because walnuts are a superfood with many nutritional benefits. It's a nice way to sneak in somethin' like that.

Basil (fresh, whole leaves) - 2 cups
Parmesan Cheese (grated) - 1/2 cup
Extra virgin olive oil - 1/2 cup
Garlic (minced) - 4 cloves
Walnuts - 1/3 cup
Salt - 2 teaspoon
White pepper - 1 teaspoon

Method: Combine basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and walnuts into food processor. Mix. Once it starts coming together, drizzle in extra virgin olive oil. Season and chill.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

** Simply brush Extra Virgin Olive Oil on your crust.

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Now that you have your foundations, it's easy to pick toppings that will compliment the sauce. Below are my go-to's when I'm making a pie:

Traditional red sauce: Pepperoni, Sausage, Bacon, Ground Beef, Roma Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Jalapenos, Caramelized Onions, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Roasted Peppers, Pineapple, Mozzarella Cheese

White sauce/garlic aioli: Grilled Chicken, Sausage, Bacon, Roma Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Artichoke Hearts, Banana Peppers, Jalapenos, Asparagus, Caramelized Onions, Roasted Walnuts, Baby Spinach, Roasted Zucchini/Eggplant, Asiago Cheese, Goat Cheese, Gorgonzola Cheese, Feta Cheese, Ricotta Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese.

Pesto: Grilled Chicken, Roma Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Avocado, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, Goat Cheese, Feta Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Artichoke Hearts, Pears, Mushrooms, Prosciutto, Avocado, Jalapenos, Banana Peppers, Caramelized Onions, Cantaloupe/Melon, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Roma Tomatoes, Roasted Peppers, Baby Spinach, Kalamata Olives, Roasted Zucchini/Eggplant, Asiago Cheese, Gorgonzola Cheese, Feta Cheese, Ricotta Cheese, Mozzarella.

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Some of my favorite combos:

extra virgin olive oil - pears (thinly sliced) - Gorgonzola (crumbled) - mozzarella (shredded)

pesto sauce - kalamata olives - mozzarella (shredded) - sun-dried tomatoes (thinly sliced) - avocado (thinly sliced)

extra virgin olive oil - mozzarella (shredded) - asiago (shredded) - Gorgonzola (crumbled) - ricotta (spooned on top, one dollop per slice)

red sauce - pepperoni - mozzarella (shredded) - pepperoni - mozzarella (sliced) - dried Italian herbs

white sauce - grilled chicken - red pepper flakes - feta cheese (crumbled) - mozzarella cheese (shredded) - buffalo sauce (IE Frank's Red Hot)

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I hope you use some of these recipes, and let your creative flag fly as you venture into the art of gourmet pizza-making.

Copyright 2010, Brian Griess, All rights reserved