Pizza with Tomato and Salsa Verde (Pizza Rossa con Salsa Verde)
In Porto Ercole there is a hole-in-the-wall pizzeria called Grano, where they sell long trays of fresh-out-of-the-oven pizza, cut into squares and sold by the slice. This particular topping is inspired by one of my favourites from Grano: anchovies and salsa verde, a zingy, bright sauce of parsley and capers. It packs quite the punch and you won’t even miss the cheese.
The salsa verde recipe is adapted from a recipe from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well (1891). It makes about 200 g (7 oz/1 cup) of salsa, so it’s much more than you’ll need for this pizza – but it is so good, you’ll want to have extra. It keeps well in a glass jar in the fridge and is a great sauce to have on hand for topping anything from simple grilled fish or meat to boiled eggs and boiled new potatoes. It’s even good on toast.
While the parsley lends this sauce its bright colour, its name and its volume, it is really the capers that give it its distinct, punchy flavour. Go for capers packed in salt (rather than brine) for superior flavour. The same goes for the anchovies. Salt-packed anchovies are my preference, even if anchovies preserved in oil are more convenient. Just don’t skimp on soaking these ingredients properly before using – and taste for seasoning before adding any extra salt.
Makes 2 pizzas. If you’re making these for a snack, this amount will serve six. As a meal, it serves two hungry people who want their own whole pizza.
Ingredients 15
Dough
20 g fresh yeast, fresh
280 ml water, lukewarm
500 g plain flour, (all-purpose flour), sifted, plus extra for dusting
1 1⁄2 tsp salt
60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
1 handful semolina, for dusting
Toppings
6 salt-packed anchovy
100 g salsa verde, about half the recipe below
60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
240 g tomato passata, (puréed tomatoes)
Salsa Verde
1 salt-packed anchovy
2 tbsp salt-packed capers, heaped, rinsed, soaked
1⁄4 brown onion, (yellow onion), roughly chopped
1⁄2 garlic clove, roughly chopped
100 g flat-leaf parsley, (italian parsley)
10 basil leaves
1 lemon, juiced
60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
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Method 11
Dough
Stir or crumble the into the in a mixing bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes to soften. Sift the into a wide bowl with the and pour over the yeast and water mixture, plus the .
Mix together to create a smooth but sticky dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface until elastic and no longer sticky; this just takes a few minutes.
Place the ball of dough in a large, lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean, damp tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place free from draughts until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Alternatively, keep it in the fridge and let it rise for 8–12 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F).
If using packed in salt, rinse them under running water to remove any excess salt, then place them in a bowl of fresh water to soak for 15 minutes – for removing spines. Do the same with the if using capers packed in salt. If using anchovies preserved in oil, drain them on paper towel until ready to use.
For the salsa verde, blend the , , , , and together thoroughly with a food processor or stick blender, and add the until you have a paste-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper. For the pizza topping, stir about half the into about 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) of so that it is a little more fluid. Set aside.
In a small bowl, season the with a generous pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Set aside.
Divide the dough into two even portions. Work with one at a time (keeping the rest of the dough covered) on a work surface dusted with (or ). Roll or stretch out the dough to a thickness of about 3 mm (1/8 in) in the middle (the edges can be thicker) and transfer to a rectangular baking tray or a round pizza tray.
Spoon over the mixture to just lightly cover the base, leaving a 2 cm (¾ in) border around the edge. Place the fillets evenly here and there over the pizza and drizzle over some .
You can bake the pizzas one by one, on the lowest shelf possible, but if you’d rather have them ready at the same time, position the two pizzas on two shelves in the oven, one on the lowest shelf possible and the other in the middle of the oven. Bake for a total of 12–15 minutes, swapping them around halfway. The crust should be golden and crunchy and the top should look almost dry, with the sizzling.
Remove from the oven, spread over dollops of here and there, and serve.
Emiko Davies' tips
This dough can easily be frozen – double-wrap the portions well in plastic wrap and freeze. When you want to use it, thaw in the fridge overnight or on the kitchen bench for 2 hours. Let it come to room temperature before using as normal.
