Mexican Pizza and Volver

Hello everyone, welcome to Pizza and a Movie! I love to riff on different combinations when it comes to Mexican Pizza. I did one on Kelly’s Kitchen way back, and today’s recipe is an evolution of that pizza. Last week we did a basil pesto pizza base for the You Say Potato. It got me thinking about a cilantro pesto; with pine nuts, cotija and jalapeños. So that’s our base for today’s pizza. It’s a fresh and bright pizza with Mexican chorizo.

Mexican Pizza

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Meanwhile, get the dough coming up to room temperature, and let’s get started on the cilantro pesto. Wash and dry one bunch of cilantro and give it a rough chop, stems and all. Put it directly into the food processor, reserving a few stems for garnish. Squeeze in the juice of one lime.

Slice the stem off of one jalapeño and remove the seeds, or not, depending on how spicy you like to go. Slice the pepper in quarters and toss into processor. Add a healthy pinch of Kosher salt. Then add about 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts and 1/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese. Pulse a few times to mix in the cheese and nuts. Then, turn on low and drizzle in olive oil (about 2-3 tablespoons) until it reaches a thick pesto consistency.

Set that aside and fry the chorizo in a skillet until crumbly and browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chorizo to a paper towel-lined plate.

Set up your pizza station with all the prepped ingredients and the shredded mozzarella (minus the garnishes) so they are easy to reach. Preferably near your sink so you can wash your hands between toppings.

Assembly

This week, we are doing a pan pizza. I am using a quarter sheet pan (9″ x 12″). Grease the bottom and sides of the sheet pan with a little olive oil and set that to the right of your pizza station. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and give the dough a light dusting of flour.

Roll out the dough into a rectangular shape roughly 9″ x 12″. Then lay the dough into the sheet tray and let it come up the sides slightly. Be sure there aren’t thick folds in the bottom of the dough.

Spread a layer of the cilantro pesto evenly across the bottom of the dough. Then, spread a layer of shredded mozz evenly over the pesto. Sprinkle the chorizo over the cheese and finish with a sprinkling of cotija.

Bake the pizza for about 10-14 minutes, or until the crust and the cheese is golden brown. Meanwhile get the garnishes ready. Pull the cilantro leaves off the reserved stems; spoon several tablespoons of sour cream into a pastry bag, or a sandwich bag and slice the tip off of the corner of the bag, set it in a glass so it won’t tip over. Have a handful of toasted pine nuts at the ready.

Once the pizza crust and the cheese is golden brown, pull it out and let it sit for a couple minutes before sliding it out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Then, top with a ribbon of sour cream, a little more cotija, cilantro leaves and pine nuts.

Slice the pizza twice on the short side to make three big pieces, then slice each section in half to make square slices.

Movie Night: Volver

All right! Pizza is ready, let’s hit play on that movie! Today I chose an old favorite of mine, Volver. Directed by Pedro Almódovar, released in 2006, it stars the magnificent Penélope Cruz. I rewatch this movie a couple times a year.

Volver means “to return” and this is exactly what happens as the deceased matriarch, Irene, returns to visit her daughters Raimunda (Penélope Cruz) and Sole (Lola Dueñas) and her 14-year-old granddaughter Paula (Yohana Cobo) after the occurrence of an unfortunate incident. Cinematically gorgeous and full of saturated color, this dark comedy celebrates the survival of three generations of women.

Set in Madrid, this film is entirely in Spanish and I hope that doesn’t deter you from watching it; it’s a heartwarming and loving story with a wonderful score and superb performances by all. Available to watch on Amazon Prime and iTunes.

Thank you all for joining me today for Pizza and a Movie! Remember you can follow me on Instagram, facebook and Pinterest. Be sure to share the recipes with your friends, and as always, let me know if you try this fantastic pizza! Take care and be well, everyone! xo Kelly

Print Recipe

Mexican Pizza

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Dinner, Main Course – American

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: 2-4

Prep Time: 20 Minutes – Cooking Time: 10-14 Minutes – Total Time: 35 Minutes

Cilantro pesto makes the base for a fresh and bright pizza; with spicy Mexican chorizo and salty cotija. Sour cream, cilantro and toasted pine nuts garnish.

Ingredients

• Cilantro Pesto
• 1 Bunch Cilantro, rough chopped stems included
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1 Jalapeño, stemmed, seeds removed (if desired), and cut into half or quarters
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• 1/4 cup Toasted Pine Nuts
• 1/4 cup Cotija, crumbled
• 2-3 tbsp. Olive Oil
• Pizza
• 1 Prepared Pizza Dough, room temperature
• 1/2 cup Cilantro Pesto
• Large Handful of Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
• 3/4 -1 cup Chorizo, cooked and drained
• Small Handful Cotija, crumbled
• Flour, for dusting
• Sour Cream, torn Cilantro Leaves, more Cotija and Toasted Pine Nuts for garnish

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cilantro Pesto

2

Wash and dry one bunch of cilantro and give it a rough chop, stems and all. Put it directly into the food processor, reserving a few stems for garnish. Squeeze in the juice of one lime.

3

Slice the stem off of one jalapeño and remove the seeds, or not, depending on how spicy you like to go. Slice the pepper in quarters and toss into processor. Add a healthy pinch of Kosher salt. Then add about 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts and 1/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese. Pulse a few times to mix in the cheese and nuts. Then, turn on low and drizzle in olive oil (about 1.5 tablespoons) until it reaches a thick pesto consistency.

Pizza

4

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9"x12" sheet pan.

5

Roll the dough out in a rectangle shape roughly 9"x12". Lay dough in the pan, letting it come up the sides a little.

6

Spread an even layer of Cilantro Pesto over the dough and cover with an even layer of shredded mozzarella.

7

Sprinkle cooked chorizo evenly over cheese, followed by a sprinkling of crumbled cotija.

8

Bake for 10-14 minutes, util the cheese and crust is golden.

9

Remove from oven and let sit for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cutting board.

10

Once transferred, pipe a ribbon of sour cream and finish with more cotija, reserved cilantro leaves and toasted pine nuts.