Escarole Pizza (Pizza con Scarola)

We usually think of pizza as requiring not only tomato sauce but also loads of mozzarella cheese.  But this is only true from a North American perspective, as many traditional Italian pizzas have neither.  An excellent case in point is this pizza topped with sautéed escarole, based on a recipe presented in Julia Della Croce’s 1996 The Classic Italian Cookbook.  We don’t mind at all the absence of the tomatoes and mozzarella, and in fact this pizza become one of our favorite pies. While we have chosen to use some provolone and parmesan cheese to help hold the cooked escarole onto the crust, you can also easily turn this into a vegan recipe by eliminating both.  It still tastes great but you will need to be careful eating it as the escarole has a tendency to fall off. 

The Crust

1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon dry yeast
3 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt

Dissolve yeast in water and let sit until it becomes foamy.  Mix in the flour and salt and knead until the dough becomes elastic and satiny.  Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let sit in a warm place until doubled in bulk.

The Topping

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds escarole, shredded
¼ cup minced garlic
½ teaspoon dry oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 oz aged provolone cheese, sliced
½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
¼ cup parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add in escarole, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.  Sauté, stirring constantly until the greens have wilted, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool. 

Assembly

Heat oven to 550º F.

When the dough has risen, punch it down and form into a smooth ball.  Let sit, covered, on a floured surface for about 5-10 minutes to let the dough relax.  With well-floured hands press out the dough into an 8” circle.  Enlarge the diameter of the crust to 14” using either a rolling pin or by placing the dough over the knuckles of your fisted hands and stretching the dough by gently pulling your fists apart, working around in a circle along the outer margin of the crust.  While the latter technique will make for the most authentic pizza, it may be best to not try it unless you have experience doing this and/or have access to fuller instructions.  We recommend Evelyne Slomon's 1984 The Pizza Book (ISBN 978-0812911138) for more information about not only stretching but also tossing pizza crusts. 

Place the formed dough on a pizza pan or peel.  To assemble the pie, first place on the dough a layer of provolone cheese.  Top this with the escarole sauté, then the chopped olives and finally the parmesan.  Dress the top of the pie with a little dry oregano, some freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. 

Bake for 7-10 minutes until the crust is golden and the parmesan cheese has melted and turned a light brown.  Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

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