Roman Pinsa Recipe With Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

Pinsa With Sundried Tomato Pesto

Pinsa, with its typical oval shape, gets its name from the Latin word “pinsere”, which means to stamp, pound, crush. In ancient Rome, this dish was prepared by the plebians using different ground cereals mixed with water, salt and herbs. In Virgil’s Aeneid, it is named as the first dish that Aeneas ate on landing in Lavinium.

Makes

1 Pinsa

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf of pinsa dough (see recipes)
20-25 sun dried tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil, as needed
50 g fior di latte cheese, in pieces
10-15 black stoned olives, as needed
A few leaves of fresh basil for garnish

METHOD

Preheat oven to 220°C or as high as your oven reaches.  

Make the pesto: liquidise the dried tomatoes in a blender with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.

Stretch out the pizza dough on a work surface, then place on baking sheet in the traditional oval shape or to all the way to the edges of your baking sheet; whichever you prefer. Spread with the tomato pesto. Carefully transfer to baking sheet and bake for 2-3 minutes or until the dough starts to turn golden and puff up.

Remove from oven, scatter the fior di latte cheese and a few stoned black olives.

Return to oven and continue to bake for another 2-3 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Serve with a few fresh basil leaves.