The word of the day is paragon, defined as “a thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality.” -The Internet. This Roasted Red Pepper Pizza is a paragon if there ever was one… it is absolute perfection. “Good grief, what’s so flipping great about it?” you ask? Where the flip do we start? You make your own very simple tomato sauce, which means you’re not getting any of that store-bought tomato product flavor here. No, it really is simple, you just combine canned San Marzano tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil and salt. Then you make THE MOST INCREDIBLE 2nd sauce imaginable by charring either fresno or red jalapeno peppers and red bells, removing the skins, and processing those with garlic, a couple anchovy fillets, red pepper flakes, dried oregano and more olive oil. Did we lose you at anchovy fillets? Well, do you like Caesar dressing? If it’s a good, made-from-scratch Caesar, it will most likely have anchovies on it’s list of ingredients. Anchovies in sauces lend a depth and richness of flavor that is hard to fake using any other ingredient. Trust us, you want those anchovies in there; it won’t taste “fishy” and you’ll appreciate the level of refinement with which this flavor blesses your pizza. Top fresh, store-bought pizza dough with these two magical sauces plus fresh mozzarella, parmesan and fresh torn basil and enjoy the cheapest, simplest pizza you’ve ever had that tastes like a million bucks.
Tips (unsponsored): Please use San Marzano canned tomatoes – they really do make a huge difference. We find ours at Walmart, as well as our anchovies. When using parmesan for finishing a pizza or other dish like this, we highly suggest using a good quality parmesan. It’s hard to fake that aged flavor without the cheese becoming distasteful. We have always been happy with the Costco brand Parmigiano-Reggiano (it’s imported and aged, comes in a wedge. Get the wedge as opposed to the pre-grated stuff). We buy our 1 lb. unfrozen dough balls from Trader Joe’s, but have gotten them before at Fresh and Easy, as well as Sam’s club food court (you get a ton but can freeze them and split them with friends and neighbors). You will have extra sauce. Enjoy it tossed on some hot pasta with cheese the following evening.
Have we mentioned that the roasted red pepper sauce is purely magical?
Have your kids help you crush the canned San Marzano’s by hand by setting the opened can inside another large bowl in the sink. Juices will spray as they squish but the sink walls should catch most of the mess. They will LOVE it. They can also help you place mozzarella and sprinkle parmesan and basil. Make sure they take note of the delightfully licorice-y aroma of the basil. As you prepare and enjoy this pizza together with those you love, teach them a few things about the ingredients:
- Basil gives your body vitamin K, which help your blood clot correctly so you don’t bleed too much.
- Basil helps to fight-off bad bacteria.
- Tomatoes are awesome for your skin.
Obviously Italian, let’s learn a few things about the country of pizza’s origin:
- You would never find pineapple on a pizza in Italy.
- There are two states in Italy, called San Marino and the Vatican City.
- We can thank Italians for the Mona Lisa and the inventions of the piano and violin. The story Pinocchio was written by an Italian author.
Adapted from: Roasted Red Pepper Pizza
- For the tomato sauce:
- 1 28 -ounce can whole San Marzano plum tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- For the pepper spread:
- 1 Fresno or red jalapeno chile pepper
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 anchovy fillets
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- For the pizza:
- 4 par-baked pizza crusts (2 - 1 lb. dough balls, separated into 4 pizzas for easier handling, rolled out and baked about 3 mins per side)
- 12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (preferably buffalo mozzarella), drained and sliced
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Torn fresh basil, for topping
- Kosher salt
- cornmeal, to sprinkle on your pizza peel (to easily slide pizza on and off your baking sheet or stone)
- Place a pizza stone or inverted rimmed baking sheet on the lower oven rack and preheat to 500 degrees F. Make the tomato sauce: Crush the tomatoes in a large bowl with your hands. Stir in the olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper.
- Make the pepper spread: Roast the chile pepper and bell pepper over the flame of a gas burner (or under the broiler), turning, until charred, 4 minutes for the chile and 6 to 8 minutes for the bell pepper (*TAC note: it took us more like 3 mins per each 4 sides. We prefer to char on the grill, about 10 mins total, rotating). Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Peel off the charred skins with your fingers (you may want to use gloves for the chile pepper to avoid irritation). Halve the peppers and remove the seeds. Combine the garlic, anchovies, red pepper flakes and oregano in a food processor. Add the roasted peppers and pulse until almost smooth. Pour in the olive oil and pulse a few times. Season with salt. *You can make the pepper spread up to 4 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.
- Assemble the pizza: Keep the parbaked crust on the baking sheet. Spread with ¾ cup to 1 cup tomato sauce. Top with the mozzarella, then spoon ½ cup pepper spread on top. Sprinkle with a quarter of the parmesan. Transfer the baking sheet to the hot pizza stone and bake until the cheese melts and the crust is golden brown, start checking at 7 mins. Remove from the oven and top with more parmesan and the herbs. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Repeat with remaining 3 pizza crusts.
