Pineapple, Calabrese, Jalapeño Pizza and Paper Spiders

Welcome to Pizza and a Movie! This week I have a simple, yet delicious pizza and a heartfelt film to share with you. It’s hard to beat simple pizza combinations; where each ingredient gets its moment to shine; when they’re together, they create a flavor combination that is sweet, spicy, and savory; with textures that range from crunchy to soft and finally, chewy. Today’s movie feels like an appropriate pairing with the Pineapple, Calabrese, Jalapeño Pizza: The lead actors shine in their individual performances, and together, they create a compelling story.

Ingredients

The ingredients for this pizza are simple: thinly sliced fresh pineapple, sliced fresh jalapeños, mozzarella, fontina cheese and Calabrese salami. This is one of my most favorite combinations. When I worked at Escape from New York Pizza, I would often make this pizza to take home after my shift. Instead of Calabrese, I used pepperoni; instead of fresh pineapple it was canned; there wasn’t any fontina and the jalapeños were pickled, so this recipe takes it to a new, fresher level. But my old version of this pie is no less delicious.

We are back out at the pizza oven today, which is pretty much my favorite way to spend an evening; outside, tending to the fire, sipping some rosé and getting creative with pizza. Thin crust works best for this combination, so the dough doesn’t overwhelm the toppings; so preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Stretch your dough out to about 12-inches.

The no-cook sauce is simply hand crushed San Marzano tomatoes. Spoon and spread some sauce evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with grated fontina cheese. Calabrese salami is similar to pepperoni, but the slices are larger, like regular salami. Evenly place Calabrese salami over the fontina and top with several fresh mozzarella pearls.

Rather than large chunks of pineapple, I wanted to thinly slice the fresh pineapple so that all the toppings are relatively the same thickness. Plus, I wanted more even coverage of pineapple, so every bite has some sweetness to it. Evenly distribute the pineapple slices over the Calabrese and top with an even layer of fresh jalapeños. Then we are ready for the oven.

I am looking at a 90 second cook time, but in the oven plan for about 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Pineapple, Calabrese Salami, Jalapeño Pizza

I love how this pizza looks! The fresh jalapeño retains its crunch, bite and bright green color. The mild jalapeño heat is offset by the juicy sweetness of the pineapple; the Calabrese is salty and with the fontina, adds a rich savoriness. Slice this pie up and lets start the movie!

Movie Night: Paper Spiders

I suppose because it’s been forever since I have been to the movie theater, and because I don’t see commercials on TV, but I had no idea about this movie. I have always been a fan of Lily Taylor; she tends to play off-beat characters and her portrayal of a loving, but overbearing, mother spiraling into mental illness is pretty much her wheelhouse as an actress. The dynamic between these two characters is often heartbreaking to watch, especially if you have experienced a loved one with serious mental illness. There is a hopeful takeaway with this movie though; and while the daughter, Melanie (played by Stefania Owen) makes a choice that alters the trajectory of the life she planned for in the end, it’s a choice of love and understanding.

I am so happy you joined me today for this week’s Pizza and a Movie. Remember you can always catch up on past posts for your own Pizza and a Movie night. Follow my boards on Pinterest to find all the recipes in one easy spot! Thank you everyone, take care and be well. xo Kelly

Print Recipe

Pineapple, Calabrese, Jalapeño Pizza

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Dinner, Main Course – American/Italian

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: 2-4

Prep Time: 20 Minutes – Cooking Time: 15 minutes – Total Time: 35 Minutes

Fresh jalapeños bring crunch, bite and bright green color. Juicy sweetness of pineapple; Calabrese salami and fontina are savory and rich.

Ingredients

• 1 Prepared Pizza Dough
• 1/4 cup Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes and their juices
• 1 cup Grated Fontina Cheese
• 4-6 oz. Calabrese Salami or Pepperoni
• Fresh Mozzarella Pearls
• Fresh Pineapple, sliced into thin wedges
• 1 Large (or 2 small) Fresh Jalapeños, sliced into rounds

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2

On a floured pizza peel, dust the dough with flour and create a crust around the perimeter of the dough and flatten down the center.

3

Stretch it out on the backs of your hands, left hand over right hand, until the dough is roughly 12-inches around.

4

Add more flour evenly on the peel and lay the dough on the peel.

5

Spoon and spread the crushed tomatoes evenly around the dough and add a layer of fontina cheese.

6

Evenly distribute the Calabrese salami over the cheese and sauce – use as much as you like!

7

Place several mozzarella pearls over the Calabrese and evenly place the thin pineapple wedges around the pizza.

8

Top with jalapeño slices.

9

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly.