Pharm-to-Table

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Cacio e Pepe Pizza

Jennifer Mathews

I’ve gotten in the habit of making pizza once a week for my family since I have my starter that needs attention weekly. Pizza Margarita is perfection I think, but variety is nice too. Cacio e Pepe is one of my favorite pastas and this pizza has all the right notes. Every recipe I looked at had this genius idea of putting ice on the raw pizza dough which creates this wonderful starchy, creamy sauce on top of the pizza, just like the pasta water you need to make cacio e pepe pasta properly. Genius! Ricotta is not traditional in the pasta dish, but it adds a wonderful creaminess, so forgive me.

Tips:

  • If you don’t care to add the ricotta, just omit it, no other changes necessary.

  • A pizza stone gives you the best crusty texture, but an inverted baking sheet will work in a pinch.

  • A simple green salad is all you need to round out this meal.

  • Next time I think I’ll add some pancetta to the pizza. Why not?

Cacio e Pepe Pizza

Makes one pie

PREP 5 minutes

just out of the oven. Look what that crushed ice does!

COOK 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Sourdough pizza dough or store bought

1/2 cup ice cubes, crushed

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

1 cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese or parmesan

2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

Kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Make the pizza dough according to recipe.

  2. Thirty minutes before you are baking, preheat your oven to 500 degrees with your baking stone in it.

  3. Flour a baking sheet or use cornmeal to help slide the pizza off the baking sheet onto the baking stone.

  4. Use your fingers to stretch the dough thin into an oval shape. Place the pizza dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the surface and dot with the crushed ice.

  5. Carefully slide the pizza dough onto the preheated baking stone and bake the dough for about 12-15 minutes until it is fully cooked and golden brown. Transfer to a cutting board.

  6. Spread the pizza with ricotta and sprinkle the pecorino cheese and pepper on top. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil on the pizza and season with Kosher salt. Best enjoyed immediately.