We have an important issue over here.

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Do you like your cheese on top of your pizza toppings, or do you like your toppings on top of your cheese?

I like it the first way, Meeker likes it the latter.

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I like to be able to see what I’m biting into next. Meeker likes the cheese to glue his toppings down to the crust.

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I like to be able to see my vegetables on my pizza because it helps justify eating an entire pizza. Meeker needs no justification for cheese and bread consumption. (Ugh, boys)

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I like the colors of the toppings. Meeker likes the color of…well, he just likes cheese.

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But either way you do it, this pizza is incredible. Salty, cheesy, full of vegetables (and pancetta), pretty (unless you cover all the colors with your cheese) and delicious.

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Maybe you should just give it a shot both ways, come back, and tell me what you think

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Spinach & Pancetta Pizza

PRINT Recipe

Half Recipe for Crust from Bon Appetit

  • 3 3/4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt, finely ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

1. Whisk ingredients with a wooden spoon. Add 1 1/2 cups water gradually and stir well until even. Gently form dough into a ball with your hands and transfer to a clean bowl.

2. Using plastic wrap, cover dough and let rise. This should be done at room temperature and will take around 18 hours. It’s ready when the dough’s size has about doubled and it’s surface is covered with small bubbles.

3. Flour work surface and move dough to begin gently shaping it into a rectangle-esque shape. You’ll want to divide it into three equally sized portions and work on each portion individually.

4. Create four folds by gathering the four corners together. Turn dough upside down and gently shape into a ball; dust with flour, set aside and work on remaining portions.

5. For about an hour, let the portions rest while covered in plastic wrap. When the dough is flexible and soft, it’s ready to be worked with. (It can be made up to this point 2-3 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator)

6. When ready to use, stretch dough out over your closed fist, letting it pull and droop until it looks like a pizza crust is supposed to. Then put it on a floured surface

Sauce

  • 1 can fire roasted tomatoes, whizzed through a food processor
  • 2 heads garlic, crushed
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 t dried Italian seasoning
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper

Put the olive oil in a pan and heat over medium high heat. Add the crushed garlic and bloom for about 30 seconds. Then add the rest of the seasoning and the tomatoes. Bring to a low boil for about 20 minutes.

Toppings

  • 3 C fresh spinach
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 head garlic, minced
  • 1/2 C pancetta, cubed
  • 1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
  • salt and pepper

In a skillet over medium high heat, add the pancetta and let it cook until browned, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside on a paper towel to drain, leaving most of the fat in the pan. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and let cook until tender. Then add the spinach, season with salt and pepper (you won’t need much salt because the pancetta is so salty on it’s own) and put a lid on top until the spinach wilts.

Preheat oven to 500 – 550 degrees.

Take TWO of the raw pizza doughs (save the 3rd one for another day), put about 1/2 C sauce on each. Evenly distribute the toppings over both pizzas. Then bake for about 10 minutes in a 525 degree oven.  Let cool, slice, and enjoy!

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