As the chill of winter approaches and our thoughts turn to nesting in the warmth of our homes, there is nothing more delightful than gathering with friends for a cozy evening.
On May 17th, as we celebrate Pizza Party Day, it’s the perfect time to don our warm socks, light some candles, and enjoy the crackling fireplace.
The simple pleasure of a homemade pizza, shared with besties, creates a sense of happiness and togetherness that nothing can beat.
- This year, let’s elevate our winter gatherings with a delightful twist: lazy baguette pizzas. These easy-to-make treats allow us to spend less time in the kitchen and more time having fun with our loved ones. So, embrace the season, savor the flavors, and let’s party with pizza!
Mushroom Baguette Pizza
Serves 4-6 / Makes 4 pizzas
Ingredients:
- 4 large portabello mushrooms / 400g large brown mushrooms
- 100g baby portabellini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 baguettes
- 1 x 375ml tomato based pasta sauce of choice
- (tomato & basil works very well or use arabiata for a chilli kick)
- 250g mozzarella cheese, grated
- 200g mixed olives, sliced
- 1-2 Tbsp capers
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chilli, for serving
Method:
- Preheat oven to 200˚C, fan on.
- Place oven rack towards the top 3rd of the oven.
- Place the portabellos on a baking tray. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Dry roast for 7 minutes until just tender but not fully cooked through.
- Allow to rest skin side up and release their liquid.
- Slice.
- Halve each baguette lengthways.
- Place on a baking tray and brush with a little olive oil.
- Bake in the oven for 5 min to crisp up.
- Place pasta sauce in a small saucepan and reduce until slightly thickened and a good spreadable consistency.
- Spread a few tablespoons of pasta sauce onto each baguette half.
- Top each half with cheese, sliced portabellos, raw baby portabellinis, olives and capers.
- Finish with a sprinkle of Italian herbs, salt and pepper.
- Return to the oven and bake for 6-8 min, until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
- Serve straight away with some chilli on the side.
AND WHEN YOU NEED TO AMP UP YOUR PARTY PATTER, HERE’S A FEW FUN FACTS ABOUT PIZZAS…
- In ancient Greece, the Greeks covered their bread with oils, herbs, and cheese, which some attribute to the beginning of the pizza.
- In Byzantine Greek, the word was spelled “πίτα,” pita, meaning pie.
- The Romans developed a pastry with a sheet of dough topped with cheese and honey, then flavored with bay leaves.
- Our modern pizza had its beginning in Italy as the Neapolitan flatbread.
- The original pizza used only mozzarella cheese, mainly the highest quality buffalo mozzarella variant. It was produced in the surroundings of Naples.
- An estimated 2 billion pounds of pizza cheese was produced in the United States in 1997.
- The first United States pizza establishment opened in New York’s Little Italy in 1905.
- The best pizza on the planet (2023) hails from Naples. After all, it is the birthplace of the world’s favourite dish. Naples is crammed full of award-winning pizzerias, but 10 by Diego Vitagliano offers something really special. The team here only uses high-quality seasonal ingredients and there isn’t a single pizza on the menu that will set you back more than €10.
- Rated at nr 43. Massimo’s in Cape Town, South Africa made it to the Best Pizza on the planet list in 2023. Here the pizzas are ultra-thin with crusty crusts and topped with seasonal ingredients such as garlic butter, soft cheese and (obviously) mushrooms!
