Mama's Pizza
This is the best pizza I ever ate as a child and to this day my favorite pizza. My Aunt Lilly, Mama’s eldest daughter, could make this pizza just like her mother. This pizza was a Friday night ritual not just during Lent when you couldn’t eat meat.
Ingredients
- Pizza Dough (prepared separately; use ½ of pizza dough recipe, about 1 lb or a little less)
- Hand Crushed Canned Plum Tomatoes (enough to cover entire pie)
- Sliced Mozzarella (enough to cover entire pie; you can use shredded if you like)
- Salt (just a little)
- Black Pepper (just a little)
- Dried Oregano (a sprinkle)
- Olive Oil (a drizzle)
- Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese (to sprinkle top of pie)
- Capers (optional, but always present on Aunt Lilly's pie)
Instructions
- On an olive oiled pizza pan stretch ½ prepared pizza dough (about 1 lb or a little less). Let the dough rest a little before stretching it more until it fills the pan and doesn't move.
- Top dough with Hand Crushed Canned Plum Tomatoes (not too much but cover entire pie), Sliced Mozzarella (you can use shredded if you like), a little Salt, a little Black Pepper, a sprinkle of Dried Oregano, Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese and optional Capers (always present on Aunt Lilly's pie), a drizzle of Olive Oil.
- Any other topping you like is up to you - Mama was a simple purest - nowadays my sister continues the pizza tradition and does varieties such as eggplant & basil, grilled veggie, sausage & peppers, pepperoni, white pie and a vegan version with vegan mozzarella.
- With your middle and ring fingers push dough edges all around pie to form the crust.
- Bake in a 400-425℉ oven for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and bottom of pie is golden brown and crunchy. This pizza, like most, is even delicious the next day cold.
Notes
Variations
You don't have to make a million pizzas, you can make some with two toppings half and half or you can even order different pizzas from your favorite local pizzeria.
Sausage & Pepper
- Sauté peppers and onions. Cook sausage crumbles out of the casing.
- Add 1 cup of whole wheat flour and remove 1 cup of regular flour.
- Sauté frozen artichokes with olive oil and small grated onion.
- Sauté eggplant until golden brown. Use fresh ricotta cheese and chopped prosciutto.
- Sliced meatballs - sliced pepperoni - sliced sausage - black olives
- Cut chicken cutlets with mozzarella & sauce.
- Lots of sliced pepperoni.
- Cook sausage out of the casing - blanch or sauté broccoli florets
- Sauté or grill a variety of vegetables
