When one thinks of Italian food, often the first thing to come to mind is pizza.  I certainly know I think of pizza.....a lot….probably every day.  I can’t tell you how many pizzas I’ve eaten in my quest to find one “like the ones I ate in Italy”.  Try as I may, I simply can’t find one as good as the pizza I get in Rome at Tettarello’s; my favorite, conveniently located in my old neighborhood.  One we order there a lot is the fiori di zucca, or zucchini flower with anchovies…..so delicious, and not one I generally find on the menus here.

When I was at my local farmer’s market yesterday, I found beautiful fresh zucchini blossoms!  I was so excited and immediately thought of pizza.  You may slap my wrist now as I tell you I don’t make my own dough.  I know, I know….it’s probably very easy, and I should do it, but as much as I love to cook, I simply have a fear of yeast for some unknown reason, so I never make it.  I buy sacks of fresh dough from local grocery stores like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.  You’ll see in the photos that I’ve used whole wheat dough.  I only did that because they were out of white dough.  I’ve never eaten a whole wheat crust in Italy, and honestly, I think it interferes with the flavor of the toppings.  I know whole wheat is probably healthier for me….but I’m a white crust kind of gal. 

Here’s your list of ingredients:
1 pizza dough
Olive oil
Zucchini Blossoms
Anchovies
Fresh mozzarella
Parmesan cheese, shredded

Let’s get started.

Preheat the oven as the direction on the bag of dough directs, turn your dough out onto a floured surface, and let it rest while the oven heats up.

Personally, I never bother with a rolling pin.  When the dough has come to room temperature, I just turn it over so it’s coated in flour, and start stretching it to fit my pan.

Once it’s in the pan, you’ll brush it with a very light coating of olive oil.  No sauce here!

There’s just one thing you need to do to prep the zucchini blossoms….reach two fingers in there, and gently, without destroying the blossom, remove the stamen (or is it the pistil?) and discard.  If you leave it in there, the blossom can have a bitter taste, so out it goes.

Arrange your blossoms in a decorative pattern (if you so choose) on top of the oiled dough.  Lay strips of anchovies between.  (This is not the time to use anchovy paste…splurge a little on anchovy fillets please.)  I happened to have the little fresh mozzarella balls in the fridge.  So I cut them in half and that’s what you see dotted on the dough in the picture.  Lastly, I sprinkle on a little shredded parmesan.

Pop it into the preheated oven for the amount of time the package directs; usually about 10 minutes.  When it comes out, it’s a golden thing of beauty and it tastes pretty darn good too.  Okay, not like Tettarello’s, but still; it’s the next best thing.  Buon Appetito!

Let’s talk wine……

I am not a sommelier.  I am not a wine connoisseur.  But….I know what I like.  And I like Italian reds, especially the ones from Umbria.

Meet Sagrantino….and Passito.

These are the signature wines of Umbria.  They are produced from 100% Sagrantino grapes, and carry the DOCG label signifying their authenticity.  They are beautiful to look at; deep ruby red, bordering on purple….so dark you can’t possibly see through them; just the way I like it.  Swirl your glass and watch those beautiful legs form.

Take a whiff of the Sagrantino; such a unique aroma.  My husband’s nose is far better than mine.  He can tell when he’s sniffing a Sagrantino.  He calls it, “seductive” and says, “It implores you to taste it”.

Take a sip.  Oh my.  Sagrantino is a wine that begs to be consumed with food.  To me, it is not a sipping wine before dinner.  It belongs with hearty foods; foods from Umbria; foods that I love.  We’re talking steaks, sausages, wild boar stew, salami, gorgonzola cheese, olives.  This is a strong wine, high not only in alcohol content, but also in flavor.  It is earthy, intense, full-bodied, robust and oh, so delicious.  My favorite combo:  crostini covered in melted gorgonzola, drizzled with local honey and washed down with Sagrantino.  Swoon.

After you’ve had your fill of the fantastic Umbrian food and several glasses of Sagrantino, it’s time to move on to Passito.  What is it exactly?  It’s the sweet version of Sagrantino.  Sweet Passito dessert wine has been in existence far longer than Sagrantino.  It was made by monks hundreds of years ago.  It’s beautiful to look at and even more wonderful to sip.  Have it with little tozzeti for dessert.  It also pairs beautifully with chestnuts and strong cheeses. This dark, sweet nectar-of-the-gods is the perfect after dinner wine.  And when you order it in an Umbrian restaurant, they are quite generous with the pour.....lucky you.

October wine tour travelers are in luck!  We will taste both of these wines….a lot.