Bresaola and Arugula Salad Pizza and a Double Feature

Hello and welcome to Pizza and a Movie! I am so excited about today’s pizza; Beef Prosciutto, also known as Bresaola, with thick fresh mozzarella; topped with a savory and punchy arugula salad. Bresaola is cured beef from the Lombardi region of Italy. It has a slightly sweeter flavor than a pork prosciutto and this sweeter, mustier flavor goes so well with the fresh peppery flavor of the arugula, the acidic vinaigrette and the preserved lemon, tarragon and shallots in the salad. We are wrapping up our Best Picture Nominees this week with The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Judas and the Black Messiah. Let’s get to the Bresaola and Arugula Salad Pizza!

Prep

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. We are hitting the pizza stone again today, but this would also be a fantastic pan pizza. So choose whichever method you prefer and stretch out your dough accordingly. I have one, 3-ounce package of Bresaola and we will use the whole package. Most of it will go on the pizza before the cook, then I will top the baked pizza with the few remaining slices, just before we top with the arugula salad.

I have fresh mozzarella slices that I have torn into smaller pieces and I have a jar of olive oil mixed with some leftover pancetta fat. Plain ol’ olive oil is fine though, we will use it to brush the crust before the pie goes into the oven.

After the cheese, layer on the Bresaola and a few more slices of cheese. Then brush the crust with olive oil, or bacon fat if you have some saved. Then bake this pie for about 10 minutes or until the crust is golden. Meanwhile, we can make the Arugula Salad.

Arugula Salad

Start with baby arugula and add a diced shallot. I am using preserved lemon but if you don’t have that, you can use minced fresh lemon zest and a little lemon juice. Then, I have chopped fresh tarragon, but you can sub in your favorite fresh herb. To dress this salad add a good drizzle of olive oil and a splash of honey white balsamic vinegar, or other white balsamic. I went with white balsamic because it is light and slightly sweet, which works well with the pungent preserved lemon and the bite of the fresh shallot.

When the pizza comes out of the oven, top it with the remaining Bresaola slices and the Arugula Salad.

Bresaola and Arugula Salad Pizza

Add some flaky sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, if you like. Slice and enjoy!

This pizza is so simple, but has so much going on. Saltiness and chew from the cured Bresaola; creamy rich mozzarella contrasted with the bright vinaigrette and salty sour of the preserved lemon, the fresh bite from the shallot and the mellow licorice flavor of the tarragon. It’s so fresh with the salad on top, you don’t feel bad about going back for seconds and thirds with this pizza!

Alright! Let’s get to the movies!

Movie Night: The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Judas and the Black Messiah

Because I started a little late with our Oscar Nominees, we have to double up today with the final two nominees. I decided to watch these two films as a double feature because their timelines are concurrent. Fred Hampton, who is one of the two central characters in Judas and the Black Messiah was assassinated in December 1969, four months into the trial of The Chicago 7.

First, The Trial of the Chicago 7. This film follows the true story of a group of anti-Vietnam War protesters who were put on trial, charged with conspiracy in 1969. All were acquitted of the charges. I do love a courtroom drama and this movie doe not disappoint. The movie cuts between the trial and the moments that brought the defendants together, and the events that led up to the trial, in ways I thought were particularly well-done. The antics by Abbie Hoffman (Played by Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin are entertaining and apparently, mostly true. A very timely film, given the current events in America today.

Next up is Judas and the Black Messiah. Another film based on real-life events, this movie depicts the betrayal and assassination of Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya), who was the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, by the hand of member-turned-informant, William O’Neal (played by Lakeith Stanfield). The performances by the two leads in this movie were so captivating and real that I completely forgot that I already knew the outcome. A sharply edited and shot film, this film tugs at you in ways that make the viewer root for both leads, though we know one is in opposition to the other.

Thank you all for joining me today for Pizza and a Movie! In case you have missed any of the Best Picture Nominees check out the posts, here. The Oscars are this Sunday, will you be watching? Who are your picks for the winners? Let me know in the comments or reach out on Instagram! Take care and be well, everyone. xo Kelly

Print Recipe

Bresaola and Arugula Salad Pizza

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Dinner, Main Course – American/Italian

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: 2-4

Prep Time: 10 Minutes – Cooking Time: 10-15 Minutes – Total Time: 25 Minutes

Cured Bresaola; creamy rich mozzarella contrasted with the bright vinaigrette and salty sour of the preserved lemon, the fresh bite from the shallot and the mellow licorice flavor of the tarragon. It's so fresh with the salad on top, you don't feel bad about going back for seconds and thirds with this pizza!

Ingredients

• 1 Prepared Pizza Dough
• 1/2 16-oz. Package of Sliced Fresh Mozzarella, torn into pieces
• 1 3-oz. Package of Italian Bresaola
• 6-8 oz. Baby Arugula
• 1 Shallot, diced
• 1/4 Preserved Lemon, minced (or Lemon Zest to taste)
• 1/2 Bunch Tarragon, chopped
• Drizzle of Olive Oil, plus more for brushing on pizza crust
• Splash of White Balsamic Vinegar
• Flaky Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

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

Add mozzarella pieces and 3/4 of the Bresaola package.

6

Brush crust with olive oil and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden.

7

Meanwhile toss arugula, shallot, preserved lemon and tarragon together in a bowl with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.

8

Transfer pizza to a cutting board and top with arugula salad, flaky sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.