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Homemade pizza is one of my favorite dishes to prepare and I love experimenting with different cheeses and toppings. This week I decided to make a three cheese pizza. I started with my two staple cheeses, Di Bruno’s handmade mozzarella and 30 month Parmigiano-Reggiano. I considered the third cheese to be a wildcard so I had to choose wisely. I wanted a cheese that would melt well but also would be a bit sharp so as to distinguish itself from the mozzarella.
Enter Trugole, a fresh Asiago style from the Veneto region of Italy. Trugole is creamy, tangy, and melts perfectly, not to mention that it is an inexpensive pick. To top the pizza I sliced the mozzarella into medallions and grated the Trugole and Parmigiano. I spread the mozzarella and Trugole throughout the center of the pizza, while I sprinkled the grated Parmigiano on the crust; this gives the crust a nice flavor and texture which I think is sometimes overlooked. Before baking, I placed some oil cured basil leaves to add color and extra flavor to this masterpiece.
To make a simple sauce, I reduced vine-ripe tomatoes with salt, garlic and Di Bruno’s Classico Extra Virgin Olive Oil. While there are many pizza dough recipes, my own recipe involves a mix of high quality all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat gluten and spices. I recommend using a preheated ceramic pizza stone to bake any pizza. I usually bake my pizzas at 450 degrees for just over 15 minutes.
I selected these three cheeses because they all melt well and have distinct flavors and textures. In the near future, I plan to share something with a mixture of fresh and aged goat cheeses with olives or creamy blue cheeses and toasted nuts.
