For each 10-inch pizza:
Kosher salt to taste
1/6 pound capellini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small green bell pepper, sliced into thin rings
1/2 cup Quick Tomato Sauce, recipe follows, or your favorite store-bought tomato sauce
2 ounces thinly sliced provolone
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, ripped into pieces
Fresh basil sprigs for garnish
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the capellini and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain well. Heat the oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the bell pepper and cook 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate.
Add the capellini to the skillet, distributing evenly and pressing down hard. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, until the bottom is golden, about 25 minutes. Invert the “crust” and cook the other side, covered, for 10 minutes longer.
Spread the tomato sauce over the “crust,” leaving a 1/2-inch border. Arrange the provolone on top, overlapping the slices, and top with the bell pepper rings and prosciutto. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and garnish with the basil sprigs.
Quick Tomato Sauce:
Makes about 2 cups
Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 small onion, finely chopped, and 2 garlic cloves, minced. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Empty one 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, including juice into a large bowl and use your hands or a fork to crush. Add the crushed tomatoes and juices to the saucepan. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves and 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes.
COOK’S NOTES
Where you can buy the nonstick ceramic skillets (which are called Induction 21 Steel cookware and are made by Chantal) I used on the show:
I highly recommend them, not only because they are beautifully stick resistant but also because they are non toxic. Made from strong Japanese steel, the ceramic coating is PFOA and PTFE free making it an eco-friendly and healthy nonstick pan. No toxic fumes are released during heating.
CAPELLINI:
Capellini, is also known as Angel Hair or “fine hair,” a traditional favorite in family dining rooms and restaurants. Like spaghetti, it is rod-shaped, in the form of long strands, and thinner than vermicelli. It’s a rather delicate pasta, so it’s best to use in light sauces, broths or soups. It works well as a “crust” because it’s so thin and the noodles, as long as you don’t rinse them, will really “stick together.”
You can dress it up as Pasta Pizza for guests by used artichoke hearts, olives or shrimp – or make it more kid friendly plain, with sauce and mozzarella.
CHEESE ISN’T CHEAP – HOW TO MAKE IT LAST!
Ditch the plastic wrap and sealed zip-top bag and try this simple storage solution. Remove cheese from its packaging, wrap it in parchment paper secure with masking tape, and put the wrapped parcel inside a sandwich bag that folds closed at the top.
Only once have I seen this type of frying of noodles. Vietnamese restaurant in San Jose. And I’ve been pining for them ever since. Thank you for the instructions, I look forward to giving this a try.