Pizza Al Forno Recipes

MOM'S PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion; saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in tomato puree and water; cook for 10 minutes. Stir in sugar and basil. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the sauce is cooking, bring a very large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease. Add ground beef to cooked pasta. Mix in enough tomato sauce to lightly coat the pasta.
• Mix ricotta cheese and water in a bowl until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Spread a ladleful of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add 1/2 of the pasta, all of the ricotta cheese, peas, and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese. Layer the sliced eggs on every section of the pasta; cover with 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Pour remaining pasta, Parmesan cheese, sauce, and mozzarella on top. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and bubbly, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting, so slices don't fall apart.

PIZZA AL FORNO

Steps:

• 1 Preheat oven to 425°.
• 2 Combine sauce with ricotta in medium bowl.
• 3 Arrange pizza crust on ungreased pizza pan or baking sheet. Evenly spread with Ricotta mixture, then top with tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese.
• 4 Bake 15 minutes or until Ricotta mixture is bubbling. Garnish, if desired, with Parmesan cheese curls and fresh basil leaves.
• 5 Variations: Before baking, try topping with sautéed spinach, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, olives, cooked Italian sausage or pepperoni.

PIZZA WITH FRIED CALAMARI (FROM AL FORNO)

Steps:

• Cut the tubes into rings. Lightly coat the squid with flour and fry 360 degree F oil until golden brown. We make this pizza the same way as the margarita except that the spicy oil is drizzled on instead of just olive oil and then the calamari is placed on top, and garnished with scallions.
• Prepare a hot charcoal fire, setting the grill rack 3 to 4 inches above the coals.
• On a large, oiled, inverted baking sheet, spread and flatten the pizza dough with your hands into a 10 to 12-inch free-form circle, 1/8-inch thick. Do not make a lip. You may end up with a rectangle rather than a circle; the shape is unimportant, but do take care to maintain an even thickness.
• When the fire is hot (when you can hold your hand over the coals for 3 to 4 seconds at a distance of 5 inches), use your fingertips to lift the dough gently by the 2 corners closest to you, and drape in onto the grill. Catch the loose edge on the grill first and slide the remaining dough into place over the fire. Within a minute the dough will puff slightly, the underside will stiffen, and grill marks will appear.
• Using tongs, immediately flip the crust over, onto the coolest part of the grill. Quickly brush the grilled surface with olive oil. Scatter the garlic and cheeses over the dough, and spoon dollops of tomato over the cheese. Do not cover the entire surface of the pizza with tomatoes. Finally, drizzle the pizza with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Slide the pizza back toward the hot coals, but not directly over them. Using tongs, rotate the pizza frequently so that different sections receive high heat; check the underside often to see that it is not burning. The pizza is done when the top is bubbly and the cheese melted, about 6 to 8 minutes. Serve at once, topped with the basil leaves and additional olive oil, if desired.
• Pizza Dough: Sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup warm (105 to 110 degrees F) water and allow it to dissolve and activate, about 5 minutes. Combine the flour and salt and mound it onto a cool work surface creating a high walled well in the center. Combine the yeast mixture with 1 1/2 cups of cool water and pour into the well. Slowly begin to mix the water and flour, a little at a time, moving your fingers in short, counter clockwise circles around the border of the water. When the dough is firm enough to hold it's shape, scrape the remaining flour over it and knead until the mass is smooth and shiny, approximately 7 minutes. Transfer the dough to a bowl that has been brushed with olive oil. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil to prevent a skin from forming, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place away from drafts until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Punch down the dough and knead once more. Let the dough rise again for about 40 minutes, punch down again and form dough into 4 balls.
• Combine all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to very low, and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 30 minutes so the flavors continue to infuse the oil as it cools
• Strain the oil into a clean jar. When it has cooled to room temperature, cover and refrigerate.

PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• For the sauce: Cover the bottom of a medium saucepan with oil and garlic and cook over medium heat until garlic browns. Add sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
• For the pappardelle pasta: Make a bed of all-purpose flour, then make a well and add eggs. Fold all together, adding in more flour if needed, and knead until a dough ball is formed, then set aside and cover for 30 minutes.
• Run dough through a pasta sheeter to form pappardelle pasta (broad flat noodles).
• For the meatballs: Combine the beef, pork, veal, panko, Parmesan, salt, pepper and eggs in a bowl. Mixture should be on the drier side. If need be, add more panko. Form quarter-size meatballs. Heat a medium frying pan with oil and fry each meatball to a golden brown color.
• For the pasta al forno: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add sauce to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, along with the ricotta. Stir together, then add mozzarella and the meatballs. Let the cheese melt down.
• Meanwhile, drop the pasta into boiling salted water for about 7 minutes. Strain and add to the baking dish. Mix around, then bake in oven for 10 minutes.

AL FORNO'S GRILLED PIZZA MARGHERITA RECIPE

Steps:

• To make the Basic Pizza Dough: Stir the yeast and sugar into the water and let the mixture stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Place the flour and salt in the work bowl of a food processor. Turn on the processor; slowly pour the yeast mixture through the feed tube and let the dough mass together. Next, add the oil through the feed tube and process the dough until it cleans the sides of the bowl but is still moist. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour; if too dry, add more water. When the dough is the right consistency -- moist but not so wet that it sticks to your fingers or the sides of the bowl -- process until kneaded, about 40 seconds. The dough should be supple and elastic when you stretch it with your hands. Transfer the dough to a large plastic food bag, squeeze out the air and seal the top, leaving enough room inside for the dough to expand. Place the bag in a bowl and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down. The dough can be used now or refrigerated up to five days. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Roll each piece on a floured board to make about an 8-inch circle. Stack the rounds between oiled sheets of wax paper. The dough can be rolled in advance and refrigerated several hours or frozen. For Assembly: Prepare a hot fire one side of the grill; the grill rack should be 3 to 4 inches above the heat. Set up the cool side of the rack with the pizza dough and toppings. Alternatively, set up a small table nearby for your cool side. Gently stretch 1 dough round into about a 9-inch circle; be careful not to stretch so that holes appear. If small holes appear, work around them and do not drizzle any oil or filling into these holes. Place the dough on a large, oiled, inverted baking sheet. Gently stretch the dough more if needed (it's easier right on the sheet). When the grill is hot, use your fingertips to lift the dough by the two closest edges and carefully drape it onto the grill. Make sure the dough doesn't droop into the flame. The dough will puff slightly and grill marks will appear, about 1 to 2 minutes. Use tongs to flip the crust immediately over onto the cool part of the grill. Quickly brush the grilled surface with 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil. Scatter 1/2 teaspoon of garlic, 1/2 cup of Fontina and 3 tablespoons of pecorino over the dough. Spoon dollops of tomato over the cheese; do not cover the surface, leave spots of cheese. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of oil; lightly sprinkle with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Slide the pizza back over the heat; use tongs to rotate it so the heat is even, cooking the pizza uniformly. Check the underside to be sure it's not burning. When the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes, remove the pizza from the grill. To serve, sprinkle it with basil and thyme. Cut into easy-to-handle finger food servings. Serve warm. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings. This recipe yields 8 servings. Each serving: 474 calories; 751 mg sodium; 31 mg cholesterol; 28 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams protein; 2.04 grams fiber.

PIZZA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Combine sauce with ricotta in medium bowl.
• Arrange pizza crust on ungreased pizza pan or baking sheet. Evenly spread with ricotta mixture, then top with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
• Bake 15 minutes or until ricotta mixture is bubbling. Garnish, if desired, with Parmesan cheese curls and fresh basil leaves.

GRILLED PIZZA WITH TOMATOES, CORN AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Pour 1/4 cup warm water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to blend. Let stand until yeast dissolves and mixture is slightly foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Stir 1 1/2 cups room-temperature water and salt into yeast mixture. Add 3 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until slightly sticky dough forms. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth and elastic, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if sticky, about 10 minutes. Oil large bowl. Add dough; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm area until doubled in volume, about 50 minutes.
• Punch dough down; turn out onto floured surface. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; knead each briefly until smooth. Cover with towel; let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Roll out 1 dough piece on lightly floured surface to 11 x 8-inch rectangle. Transfer to floured baking sheet. Brush top with oil. Place oiled side down on barbecue. Grill until bottom is golden, about 2 1/2 minutes. Brush top with oil. Using tongs, turn bread over; grill until second side is golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet. Brush bread with oil. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover with foil; let stand at room temperature. Before continuing, prepare barbecue; use medium-high heat.)
• Sprinkle Parmesan and Fontina over breads. Top each with tomato slices, corn kernels, parsley and jalapeño. Drizzle with oil. Place breads on barbecue; cover loosely with foil. Grill until cheese melts, watching closely, about 2 minutes. Cut each bread into pieces; serve warm.

PIZZA AL FORNO WITH MUSHROOMS, GORGONZOLA, AND RADICCHIO

Steps:

• Prepare a very hot fire (650° to 700°F) in a wood-fired oven or cooker.
• In a cast-iron skillet or heat-resistant baking dish, heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• In a medium-sized bowl, toss the radicchio with the balsamic vinegar.
• Flour a baking peel and shape each dough ball into a 10-inch round on the peel. Brush with olive oil, being careful not to get oil on the peel. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Leaving a 1/2-inch border of crust, top with the mushrooms, then the radicchio, thyme, and Gorgonzola. Drizzle with olive oil (including the edges) and sprinkle again with sea salt.
• Slide the pizzas off the peel and onto the oven floor. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, rotating once, or until golden on the edges and the cheese is melted. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.