Muffaletta-Stuffed Pizza Rustica
Rach turns the classic muffaletta sandwich into a stuffed pizza! You can layer in your favorite Italian deli meats; the olive salad is a delicious spread on a variety of sammies, too. Serve with a simple salad alongside.
Ingredients
For the olive salad:
- About 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed olives or pitted Sicilian olives
- About 1/4 cup pitted black olives
- 1 cup drained giardiniera (hot pickled vegetable salad)
- 1 tablespoon anchovy paste (optional)
- 1 roasted red pepper, homemade or store-bought, chopped (homemade for me!)
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- A few leaves of basil
- A scant handful of flat leaf parsley
For the remainder of the pizza:
- 2 1-pound balls pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
- Flour, for rolling out dough
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced mozzarella or smoked mozzarella
- 1/3 pound sweet sopressata, thinly sliced
- 1/3 pound sliced hot ham, coppa or cappacolo
- 1/2 pound mortadella, thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound deli-sliced provolone cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for brushing
- Sesame seeds
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the olives, giardiniera, anchovy paste, roasted pepper, garlic, basil and parsley. Pulse to form a finely chopped relish.
On a floured surface, roll out the doughs into two thin rounds. Transfer the first dough round to an oil-brushed baking sheet.
Top with a layer of olive salad, then with even layers of cheeses and meats, leaving a 1-inch edge. Brush the edges with water and top with the remaining dough. Pinch all around to seal.
Brush the pizza with EVOO and sprinkle with sesame seeds. (Tip: Brush with egg wash to make the sesame seeds really stick to the top!) Bake for 20-25 minutes to deep golden. Let cool for 10 minutes, then cut into eight wedges and serve with a green salad alongside.
