Deep Dish Pizza With Italian Sausage And Broccoli Rabe Food

PIZZA WITH BROCOLI RABE AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the broccoli rabe over high heat for about 4 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon lift from the water and set aside to cool. When cool, chop coarsely. Bring the water back to a boil and cook the sausage for about 15 minutes, until cooked through. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the water and immediately plunge in cold water to stop the cooking. When cool, remove the meat from the casing and crumble. (You should have 6 cups of sausage.) In a large saute pan, over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and cook the garlic for about 30 seconds, until browned. Add the broccoli rabe and red pepper flakes to the pan and season to taste with salt. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until very tender. In a bowl, mix together the Romano and fontina cheeses. Spread about 3/4 cup of the Romano-fontina mixture over each Pizza Crust, top each with equal amounts of broccoli rabe and sausage and then slide them back to the edge of the hot section of the grill. Rotate them for every 3 to 4 minutes until the bottoms are evenly golden brown. Cut the pizzas and serve.
• Mix the water, yeast, and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let this stand for 12 minutes to activate the yeast (the water will foam slightly.) Add the salt and oil to the bowl and mix well. With mixer on low speed add the all-purpose flour and the whole wheat flour to the bowl and mix until all the flour is absorbed and the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl and cut the dough into 6 (5 1/2 ounce) portions. Roll the portioned dough into balls and place on an oiled baking pan. Brush the ball lightly with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. If you are going to use the dough right away let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before using. You can store the dough after portioning for 1 day in the refrigerator, but you must let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before using.

SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI PIZZA

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the basil, 1/2 cup of the olive oil, the salt and tomato puree. Stir together until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to allow the flavors to marry.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Place a rack on the highest level and leave space on the bottom of the oven for easy access.
• Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the sausage and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon to form bite-size pieces, until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the broccoli to the pan and stir to mix with the sausage. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
• Dust an upside-down rimmed baking sheet with the flour. Gently stretch the pizza dough and place on the dusted tray. Continue to stretch out to 1/4-inch thick leaving it a little thicker around the edges. Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the dough and top with the mozzarella. Spread the sausage and broccoli evenly over the crust and top with the Parmesan. Place the sheet tray directly on the bottom of the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Move the tray to the top shelf and finish cooking until golden brown and the crust is cooked, 5 minutes.

DEEP-DISH SAUSAGE PIZZA

Steps:

• For the pizza dough: Whisk together the lukewarm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, until the yeast begins to bubble and foam.
• Add the flour and kosher salt to a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix until just combined. With the mixer off, add the yeast mixture. Turn the mixer back on and knead, gradually increasing the speed from low to medium, until the flour and yeast are combined and the dough looks shaggy. Turn the mixer off again and add the melted butter. Mix, slowly increasing the speed to medium, until the dough holds together and the butter is completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. With the mixer on the lowest speed, knead the dough for 3 minutes. If the dough moves too high up the hook and is no longer being kneaded, turn the mixer off and push the dough back down.
• Coat a large bowl with the olive oil. Remove the dough from the stand mixer, form into a ball and place in the greased bowl. (The dough will feel tacky when it comes out of the mixer but should come out in one piece. If necessary, knead additional flour into the dough, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.) Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• For the marinara sauce: Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepot. Add the onions and saute until softened, 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the tomato paste, oregano, crushed red pepper and salt; cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the stewed tomatoes, breaking up any large pieces. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt to taste. Let cool. (Makes 1 1/4 cups.)
• For the sausage pizza: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the sweet Italian sausage and hot Italian sausage and cook until browned, breaking up the sausage into small pieces. Remove to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
• Combine the mozzarella and Asiago in a bowl and reserve in the refrigerator.
• Place the proofed pizza dough on a lightly-floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour and roll into a 14-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer to a 10-inch nonstick springform pan. As evenly as possible, unroll the dough over the springform pan and guide the dough into the pan, pressing it evenly into the bottom and working it gently all the way into the edges. Next, lift the sides of the dough up and press against the sides of the pan, making sure the dough doesn't fold over itself at any point. The dough should come 2 inches up the sides of the pan.
• Add half of the cheese to the bottom of the crust, top with half of the sausage and then cover the sausage with the marinara sauce. Add the remaining cheese, followed by the rest of the sausage. Fold the top of the pizza dough over so that it sits evenly on top of the filling.
• Place the pizza on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate, cover with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven when the crust is a deep golden brown and the cheese is melted. Let rest for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan. Serve with torn basil scattered over the top.

BROCCOLI RABE AND SAUSAGE PIZZA

Steps:

• To make the dough, place the water in the bowl of a food processor, add the yeast and sugar, mix lightly, and let proof for about 5 minutes, until bubbles begin to form on the surface. Add the flour, bulgur, all but 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, and the salt, and process for 15 to 20 seconds.
• With the remaining teaspoon of oil, lightly grease the inside of large bowl. Remove the dough from the food processor, shape it into a ball and place it in the oiled bowl, turning it once to coat it with oil on all sides. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the pizza topping. Place the sausages and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a saucepan and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and pepper flakes, and stir for 10 to 15 seconds. Mix in the broccoli rabe, still wet from washing. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the broccoli rabe is wilted. Add the salt and let the mixture cool, uncovered (to prevent discoloration), until lukewarm.
• When ready to cook the pizza, punch down the dough and spread it out by hand onto an aluminum cookie sheet to create a 12-by-14-inch rectangle, approximately 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the sausage and broccoli mixture on top, spreading it to within 3/4-to-1-inch of the edge of the dough. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil evenly over the surface of the topping, and set it aside at room temperature for about 20 minutes to proof the dough.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pizza in oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until the crust is crisp and brown. Cut into wedges and serve.

BROCCOLI AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE BAKED RIGATONI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a medium bowl, then reduce the heat to medium.
• Add 3 more tablespoons of the butter and the garlic to the same pot. Cook until the butter has melted and the garlic is softened slightly, about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook until it's bubbling all over and no longer raw, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, then bring to a steady simmer. Simmer until it has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the mozzarella and fontina until smooth. Season with 1 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few good grinds of pepper. Keep warm over low heat.
• Meanwhile, season the pot of boiling water generously with salt (it should taste like the ocean). Add the pasta and cook until al dente, adding the broccoli florets during the last 4 minutes of cooking, about 8 minutes total.
• Use a spider to transfer the pasta and broccoli into the cheese sauce and stir until evenly coated. Stir in the sausage. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the breadcrumbs and parsley then sprinkle evenly over the pasta. Top with the Parmesan. Bake until the sauce is bubbling around the sides and the breadcrumb topping is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.