Savory Elixir: Pizza with Pizzazz

Over the last few weeks, I’ve shared tips and recipes on how authentic balsamic vinegar can intensify condiments and appetizers. Being of complex herbaceous and earthy tones, balsamic can add a great deal of depth to complement even your main course(s). In many dishes, a younger balsamic is used in the cooking process while a condimento or tradizionale is drizzled over top of the finished meal. Below, I’ll share my favorite food to make – pizza! But with a simple inclusion of sweet balsamic, you’ll magnify your cooking game and impress your guests!

Home-style, Thin Crust Pizza

Before making the pizza, you’ll first want to prepare a balsamic pesto that will add intense flavor to your pizza pie. Not to mention, the pesto pairs well with other dishes including grilled chicken, pasta, salad and even grilled cheese!

Balsamic Pesto:

2 cups of fresh basil leaves
½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of pine nuts or chopped walnuts
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

In a food processor, add the basil, cheese, nuts, garlic, salt and pepper. If you are using a small blender, pour in a little olive oil in the beginning and add only half of the basil leaves. Blend in small batches. If using a regular-sized processor, add the oil and blend ingredients until smooth. Add the balsamic until thoroughly mixed throughout the pesto.

Pizza:

Any particular type of sandwich wrap (I’m a huge fan of sun-dried tomato)
3 ripe Roma tomatoes (boiled until soft and cut into pieces)
½ cup of 2-3 types of cheeses each (Your choice. I like one creamy and one hard cheese)
¼ cup of balsamic vinegar, preferably condimento or tradizionale

Turn on the oven to a low broil. Once ready, place the wrap directly on the rack or pan, which should be mid- to high- level in the oven. Keep an eye on the wrap. Check consistently to make sure it becomes firmer while still retaining malleability. Think of it as a rubber pancake. You don’t want the wrap to crisp since it will be put back into the oven. However, you want the wrap strong enough to withstand the weight of the toppings. Here’s a tip – don’t close the oven but keep it cracked so you can peer inside. Turn over after 2 minutes and continue to monitor. The heating process should take close to five minutes.

Remove the wrap from the oven and layer with one type of cheese. If using a soft cheese, add first by spreading it across the entire surface of the wrap, using it as a buffer between the bread and toppings. For my recipe, I used a creamy, Spanish cheese called Monte Enebro.

Next, add the tomatoes, pesto and any additional toppings. Finish by grating the remaining cheese(s) to ensure that it melts quickly and consistently. Each part of the pizza should have some aspect of all the ingredients.

Place on a pan and insert back into the oven on low broil. As before, watch carefully making sure the cheese melts but the wrap does not burn. Once reaching perfection, remove and drizzle on the balsamic. Here’s a tip – if the balsamic is not viscous enough, an eyedropper is a useful method by which to dribble vinegar over a dish. Let the pizza stand for two minutes and then – dig in!

Who doesn’t like a flavor-packed pizza!?! Slightly crisp, light and saturated with tantalizing character, this pizza satisfied my taste buds and then some! Its aroma and taste were comparable to typical pizza but amplified thanks to the unique cheeses and intense extract of the pesto. And just when you thought the flavor-explosion had quelled, a slight hint of sweetness and tartness touch your palate, completing the kaleidoscope of flavor from a bite. The size wrap is perfect to split between two people or great for the solo indulger!

*Special thanks to my cousin on her tips when it comes to making pizza!

-Kevin Thurwanger