Food Friday recipe for Chicago Heart Attack Pizza

Ingredients

1 ½ cups chopped pancetta

2 cups chopped red onions

2 cups chopped white onions

3 cups roma tomatoes

5 cups fresh mozzarella cheese

1 cup sweet tomatoes

1 can chopped anchovies

4 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves chopped garlic

¼ cup red wine

2 teaspoons oregano

½ cup black truffles

½ cup fresh grated pecorino cheese

¼ cup chopped basil

Pinch salt and pepper

8 fresh basil leaves

1 ½ lbs fresh pizza dough

Here’s how to make a truly decadent but artery clogging pizza, the Chicago way.

First, start with your sauce. Place a large pan on your stove on a high heat. Once heated pour in your olive oil and add garlic, 1 cup each of red and white chopped onions, and cook until onions are translucent. Add 2 cups of chopped roma tomatoes, red wine, ¼ cup chopped basil, oregano, salt and pepper; reduce heat and leave to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until reduced.

Roll out your prepared pizza dough until it is approximately ¼ inch deep. Line the inside of a 12-inch spring-form pan with the dough, ensuring that you press firmly around the edges and sides.

Now, for the good part! Begin layering the bottom with mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, truffles, slices of fresh tomatoes, pancetta, onions, anchovies and herbs. Repeat this process until all ingredients have been used aside from the pecorino cheese, which you will grate over the completed dish. Top it off with fresh basil to give it that just finished look.

Heat your oven to 425°F. Place a pizza stone in the oven to ensure it is well heated. Once your stove has reached the desired temperature, place your pizza on the stone in the oven. Cook for a minimum of 45 minutes and check every five minutes thereafter. The trick here is to ensure the base of the pizza is cooked. Once you are satisfied remove from oven and leave to stand for five minutes. Open up your spring-form pan, and dig in…

I usually have this with friends, as I am sure I couldn’t eat it on my own. Sometimes, I even have garlic bread just because. Enjoy folks!

Ian Lett for Manitoba Post