Bolognese Bread Pizza Recipe

Difficulty

Easy

Servings

4

Nutritional Information (per serving)

• Calories: 1438
• Total Fat: 88 g
• Saturated Fat: 38 g
• Carbohydrates: 68 g
• Dietary Fiber: 8 g
• Sugar: 15 g
• Protein: 86 g
• Cholesterol: 273 mg
• Sodium: 2000 mg

Time

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Preparation Time: 10 minutes
• Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 long Italian semolina bread loaf (20 to 24 inches), preferably day-old
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (to coat the pan)
• 2 slices pancetta or bacon, chopped
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and finely diced
• 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
• Coarse black pepper and coarse salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• Generous splashes red wine (about 1/4 cup)
• About 1/4 cup beef stock
• 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• A handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 pound fresh smoked mozzarella, regular fresh mozzarella, or scamorza, thinly sliced
• 4 handfuls grated Parmigiano or Romano cheese
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves (about 20 leaves), shredded or torn

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450F (230C).
2. Cut the bread lengthwise, then halve it again. Hollow out some of the interior and place the bread in the oven to crisp for 58 minutes. Remove and turn on the broiler.
3. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil to coat the pan.
4. Add chopped pancetta and cook briefly until it releases fat.
5. Add ground beef, spread it evenly and let it caramelize undisturbed for 12 minutes, then break it up and brown thoroughly.
6. Stir in garlic, onions, and carrot. Season with coarse black pepper, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and allspice. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring often.
7. Pour in the red wine, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits.
8. Add beef stock to loosen the mixture slightly, then stir in crushed tomatoes and parsley and heat through 12 minutes.
9. Fill each hollowed bread piece with the meat sauce. Top with a thin slice of mozzarella and a generous sprinkle of Parmigiano or Romano.
10. Place under the broiler until the cheese melts and bubbles.
11. Top with fresh basil just before serving and serve with a fork and knife.