If we were one of those pizzerias that give wacky names to each pie, this mixed mushroom pizza would be called “The Vegas Guys,” or “Peter’s Pizza.” Our editor, Peter Gethers, has a group of guys he goes to Las Vegas with every year for some sort of guy reunion weekend. They meet in Los Angeles and the tradition is that they choose a different restaurant to eat dinner in the night before they leave for Vegas. I’m flattered that for the last few years, they’ve quit chowing around and held their dinner consistently in the private dining room in the Pizzeria, called the Jack Warner Room. They were particularly excited about this pizza. It’s a pretty straightforward mushroom pie, but the fact that we roast the mushrooms before adding them to the pizza, and the combination of taleggio and fontina cheeses that top it, make it especially flavorful.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 1 pizza (serves 1)
Ingredients
For the Mushrooms
For the Pizza
Preparation
Step 1
To prepare the mushrooms, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Step 2
Combine the mushroom slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat the mushrooms with the seasonings. Spread the mushrooms in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast them in the oven until they are golden brown and slightly wilted, 8 to 10 minutes. Use the mushrooms or set aside to cool to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to two days.
Step 3
To make the pizza, prepare and stretch the dough and preheat the oven according to the instructions given in “Nancy’s Scuola di Pizza” (page 128).
Step 4
Brush the rim of the dough with the olive oil and season the entire surface with salt. Scatter the mushrooms over the pizza, leaving a 1-inch rim without any topping. Scatter the fontina, taleggio, and mozzarella cheeses over the mushrooms, and then sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Slide the pizza in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown and crispy, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and cut it into quarters. Use a microplane or another fine grater to grate a light layer of Parmigiano-Reggiano over the surface of the pizza, and serve.
Suggested Wine Pairing
Step 5
Fumin (Valle d’Aosta)
