Yummy, yummy, yummy. This hearty homemade pizza is topped with homemade beef-veal meatballs flavored with red onion, fresh parsley, and fennel pollen. Next comes shredded mozzarella cheese on top of roasted strips of bell pepper and fennel, then ricotta cheese and tomato sauce. Hearty and full of Italian flavors, this pizza is calling out for a glass of smooth Chianti and a simple side salad.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Hearty Meatball Pizza with Roasted Peppers & Fennel
Ingredients:
- 1 round of pizza dough, store bought or homemade
- Cornmeal for sprinkling on the baking sheet
- 3 small bell peppers, various colors, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 head of fennel, thinly sliced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- For the meatballs:
- ½ lb. ground beef
- ½ lb. ground veal
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ red onion, diced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon fennel pollen (or sub in 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds)
Directions:
- Allow the pizza dough to rest at room temperature in an oiled bowl for 1 hour. Punch it down and knead well. Once it is ready to be rolled out, roll it out and place it on a cornmeal-sprinkled, parchment lined baking sheet.
- Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Form into ½-inch meatballs and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the meatballs on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
- On another baking sheet, place the sliced peppers and fennel. After the meatballs have cooked, increase the oven’s temperature to 375 degrees. Drizzle the peppers and fennel with oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in theh oven for 20 minutes or until tender.
- To form the pizza, first spread the ricotta cheese on the prepared pizza dough. (leaving a 1-inch border) Then, spread the tomato sauce and the roasted vegetables. Next comes the shredded cheese followed by the cooked meatballs. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees.
- Bake the pizza for 18-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust browned and puffed. Allow to cool before slicing and serving warm.
Tagged: bell peppers, fennel, fennel pollen, meatball pizza, mozzarella cheese, peppers, pizza, pizza dough, ricotta cheese, tomato sauce
Leave a Reply