Broccoli Rabe, Pecorino, and Anchovy Pizza Recipe (for Outside Pizza Ovens)

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Why It Works

The broccoli rabe topping is charred rapidly in a skillet, proper within the outside pizza oven because it heats up for baking the pies.
Par-blanching the rabe helps to maintain it from drying out when charred within the pizza oven.
Umami-rich Parmesan, Pecorino, and anchovies steadiness the candy acidity of the straightforward tomato sauce and the bitterness of rabe, with out the necessity for mozzarella.
Utilizing a dough specifically formulated for high-temperature outside pizza ovens produces completely baked pies with a crisp backside and tender crust.

I’ve owned and constructed a few yard pizza ovens, and whereas I beloved them each, they took ages to warmth up earlier than I might bake in them, which meant that I solely did so once I had half a day or extra carved out for pizza-making. Switching over to a tabletop outside pizza oven has been a game-changer for my pizza-party calendar: It’s able to rock in about half-hour, which implies I fireplace it up on a regular basis, and all I must do isplan forward so I’ve dough balls able to go within the fridge.

One factor I sought to do with these composed pizza recipes for outside ovens was search for methods to make use of the excessive warmth of the oven for issues different than simply baking the pizza. For this recipe, in addition to the burst cherry tomato, shallot, and herb one, my purpose was to make use of the oven for among the pre-bake topping prep whereas it heated up for firing pies. On this case, I needed to get critical char on some broccoli rabe, a course of that provides complicated taste to bitter greens like rabe, whereas additionally serving to to mood a few of their bitterness.

However as a result of pizzas baked in these super-hot ovens are inclined to prepare dinner in a matter of minutes, toppings have a restricted window inside which to prepare dinner. After I tried placing raw rabe on the pie, it remained largely uncooked when it got here out; even blanched, wilted rabe solely charred frivolously.

With a purpose to get the correct amount of char on my broccoli rabe, I first blanch it in salted water to frivolously wilt it, earlier than chopping it into bite-sized items. I then toss the rabe with olive oil and pink pepper flakes in a skillet, and let it char whereas the oven heats up, which takes just some minutes.

To enhance the smoky bitterness of the charred rabe, I pair it with a mix of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano, a wholesome variety of anchovy fillets, and a easy tomato sauce. No creamy, melty mozzarella right here—this pie is all about its savory punch. After all, if a few of your pizza-eating companions aren’t anchovy lovers, you possibly can depart the salty fish out on a few pies; that’s their loss.