“The Marco” Pizza with Pistachio Cream, Mozzarella, Pecorino and Prosciutto Crudo

Name: “The Marco” Pizza with Pistachio Cream, Mozzarella, Pecorino and Prosciutto Crudo
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 min
Yield: Makes six 250-gram or 30-centimetre pizzas
Ingredients: six 250-gram Classic Pizza Dough balls; 120 grams pistachios (unsalted, roasted and shelled), plus more for garnishing; 150 millilitres water; 6 grams fresh lemon juice; 40 grams extra-virgin olive oil; 3 grams fine sea salt, plus more to taste; Flour, for dusting; 100 grams grated pecorino; 500 grams of fior di latte mozzarella, cut into thin strips and drained; Extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish; 150 grams prosciutto crudo; ½ lemon, zested

In the humble opinion of Simon Towers — Powered by Ooni member and the owner and chef behind Il Pirata Pizzata (@ilpiratapizzata) in Saltaire, England — pistachios are up there among the most versatile ingredients. We have to agree. They go well in both sweet and savoury dishes, which happens to work out winningly on a pizza with a base of pistachio cream topped with fior di latte mozzarella and pecorino, and garnished post-cook with prosciutto crudo, crushed pistachios and lemon zest.

The inspiration behind Simon’s dish stems from award-winning London-based chef Marco Fuso’s pizza master class, where he first tried pizza pistachio with mortadella, a classic Italian combo. As an Englander, Simon didn’t care much for the mortadella, which reminded him too much of British supermarket ham, so he decided to put his own twist on the dish by swapping out the mortadella for the traditionally uncooked, aged and salt-cured prosciutto crudo. For a little extra zing, Simon added lemon zest to cut through the sharp saltiness of the pecorino. And since the veteran pizza chef introduced Simon to the flavours in the first place (and Il Pirata Pizzata is named after his childhood hero, cyclist Marco Pantani), he thought it only fitting to christen this pie “The Marco,” after two Italian greats.

Prep Time: 20 minutes (not including dough prep time)

Cook Time: 1 to 2 minutes

Difficulty: Medium

Servings: Makes six 250-gram or 30-centimetre pizzas

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Method

Note

If you don’t have time to make the pistachio cream by hand, there are plenty of ready-made products that can be found in Italian specialty stores and online (we like Vincente Sicilian Cream of Pistachio Nut Spread). For the dough, we recommend our Classic Pizza Dough (just be sure to set aside 3 to 4 hours for proofing). If you make more than you need, the best time to freeze extra homemade pizza dough is after the first rise, when it has doubled in size. Just divide the leftovers into equal-sized dough balls, drizzle a light layer of olive oil into separate, lidded containers to prevent the dough from sticking, place the balls inside and set in the freezer. You can freeze your dough balls there for up to 3 months.

1

For the pistachio cream:

Place the pistachios in the food processor and mix to create a thin paste, slowly incorporating the water. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Place in a covered bowl or container and set aside.
2

Using a mortar and pestle, crush a handful of pistachios, then set them aside to be sprinkled over the pizza post-bake. (You can also use a meat mallet, or the bottom of a small glass bottle, just be gentle!)
Tip: The consistency of the cream should be easy to spread over the pizza. If it’s too thick, add more water.
3

For the pizza:

Preheat your Ooni oven for 20 minutes, bringing the baking stone to a temperature between 450 and 500 °C. (You can check the temperature using an infrared thermometer.)
4

Place your dough ball on a lightly floured work surface. Push the air from the centre out to the edge using your fingers. Stretch the dough out into a 30-centimetre round. Leave your stretched pizza base resting on the counter, or transfer it to a lightly floured peel for topping.
5

Spread ⅙ each of the pistachio cream, pecorino (about 16 grams) and mozzarella (about 83 grams) evenly around the base; drizzle with a swirl of olive oil.
6

Launch your pizza into the oven, using a turning peel to rotate it 90 degrees every 30 seconds or so, until the crust has risen and browned, and cheese has melted, around 1 to 2 minutes.
7

Remove the pizza from the oven and place onto a serving board or platter; tear 2 to 3 slices of prosciutto (about 25 grams), and place on top of the pizza (Simon likes to form these into rose shapes). Garnish with a pinch of the lemon zest and crushed pistachios.
8

Slice into 4 pieces and serve. (The pizza can be sliced smaller, but Neapolitan-style slices hold up best when cut into quarters and eaten folded.)
9

Repeat the steps for the remaining pizzas.