wine night: carbonara pizza

Ever since I read about the carbonara pizza offered on the secret off-menu at Maialino, I knew I wanted to recreate it at home. 

I'm a big fan of white pizza (pizza without red sauce) to begin with, a concept that I didn't know existed until I moved to New York. 

The version I made is quite simple.

I took premade pizza dough, brushed it with olive oil, sprinkled it with garlic, cheese and bacon, and baked it.

The final few minutes I cracked a couple eggs on top which gives you the most runny and delicious sauce when you cut into the pizza.

Top it with some arugula and you've got yourself a whole meal on one slice of 'za. 

And it is SO so so good. 

I can't even put into words how good it is. 

Make this for your Wine Night tonight!

Carbonara Pizza

Recipe by Katie Rose, The Rose Record

Serves: 6

Wine Pairing:  Sangiovese (we drank it with Bartenura Rossa Toscana 2011)

Ingredients:

• Uncooked pizza dough - homemade or store bought (I use Fresh Direct's brand - 2 balls combined)
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil, divided  (+ a little more for drizzling on the arugula)
• corn meal (just a light dusting for the pan)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 to 1 t. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 c. grated fontina cheese
• 1/4 c. grated part skim mozzarella cheese
• 3 - 4 eggs (however many you prefer / however many fit on your pizza)
• 1 1/2 C. arugula
• lemon juice
• 1/4 C. reduced fat Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Lightly oil a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with lightly with cornmeal. This is to keep the crust from sticking and I love the texture the cornmeal gives the crust.
3. Roll out your pizza dough into a large rectangle that will fit your pan. I roll it and then stretch it with my fingers a bit and then wait a few minutes and do it once again. This will help it from shrinking.
4. Place the dough on your pan and lightly tap the surface with your fingertips  This gives it a few crannies for the oil and cheese to settle into. 
5. Brush the remaining olive oil onto the crust.
6. Top with crumbled bacon, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Finish by sprinkling the fontina and mozzarella over the top.
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until cheeses just start to melt.
8. Take pizza out of oven and top with the eggs. I crack my eggs first into a ramekin and then gently pour on top of the pizza.
9. Bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes until cheese is bubbly and eggs are to the doneness you prefer. (I like mine still runny for the saucy component I was talking about earlier.)
10. While the pizza finishes cooking, toss arugula in a small bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.
11. Top pizza slices with the arugula salad.  (NOTE:  you could totally make this without the arugula on top, but I love the way the egg mixes in with it and the heat of the pizza slightly wilts the bitter arugula. Paired with the salty fontina I think putting the salad on top really elevates this to another level.)

Nutrition: (per serving, using 4 eggs for pizza)

• Calories:  306
• Carbs:  37g
• Fat:  10g
• Protein:  15g 

My mouth is watering again.

Enjoy!

xoxo,

K

{photos by me}