So, you’re on our way home and your mate calls, says, “What are we doing for dinner?”
You blink a couple times, “Uhhhhhhhhh…”
Sure, you could slurp soup from a can, slap together a sandwich, sling a salad, but…
Why not take a minute and build something good, semi-homemade, fast and easy?
A quick stop at Trader Joe’s for pizza dough, pineapple, Italian sausage, and fresh mozzarella, you’re good to go – The rest should be at home in a decent pantry, meaning you should have canned tomatoes, (Any style will work; always cruise that aisle and pick up a can or two when they’re on sale – Same with beans, etc), fresh garlic, dried or fresh herbs, good oil and vinegar.
This super simple recipe takes maybe 15 to 20 minutes of prep time.
Casa Calzone
Fast Pizza/Calzone/Pasta sauce:
1 22 ounce tomatoes
1 6 oz can Tomato Paste
2 cloves fresh Garlic
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Basil
1 Tablespoon extra virgin Olive Oil
Dash Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper to Taste
In a glass or stainless bowl, blend or motorboat tomatoes to an even consistency. Crush or mince garlic, add tot tomatoes along with all other ingredients, blend thoroughly. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. You may simmer your sauce for 15 to 20 minutes for a more focused flavor note, but it’s not necessary for great results.
Fillings:
Whatever you like! Go simple for the sake of speed and ease of prep; two or three major notes is plenty and delicious. Leftover chicken, pork, beef. If you do something fresh like our sausage, then saute until cooked roughly 3/4 through and set aside.
Just fresh veggies are wonderful too; you can do them straight away, sauteed lightly, or roasted prior to filling; each little change will yield a unique and lovely taste.
We went with classics:
Ham & Pineapple
Italian Sausage & Roasted Red Pepper
Preheat oven to 475 F. and place a rack in the upper-middle position.
Roll pizza dough out to a circle or square; dough should be roughly 1/8″ thick. Transfer carefully to a baking sheet or pizza stone.
Spread an even layer of sauce roughly 1/2″ thick over half the dough, then add generous amounts cheese and toppings. Lightly wet the edge of the uncovered dough with a little water.
Gently fold the dough over to completely cover, and seal the edge by rolling it back on itself a couple of turns while pressing together.
Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes prior to cutting and serving.
Garnish with grated hard cheese, fresh herbs, or good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Toast a job well done!
UrbanMonique 