Cacio e Pepe Pizza

Despite this October masquerading as some kind of summer vacation, I have innately been craving warmer, more comforting foods.  The heat can be punishing during the day (so I am still consuming incredible amounts of salad for lunches), but by evening our little cabin is cold enough for a piping hot bowl of stew and a fire dancing in the fireplace.  Or no fire if we're making pizza.  Much to Daniel's discontent, I insist upon preheating the oven for at least an hour before making the pizza, just to ensure that our stone is piping hot.  The pizza is really great, so he just has to deal with a 100 degree house for the evening.  It is a small sacrifice to pay for an excellent homemade slice, in my opinion.

Our newest pizza obsession is a riff on the classic cacio e pepe pasta dish that we fell in love with recently.  I had never thought of putting black pepper (let alone spoonfuls) on my pizza, but Daniel suggested it, then aced it, and now it is our new go-to.  Pizza parties are frequently enjoyed in our home.  If you come over for dinner, chances that we're serving you pizza or a roast chicken are extremely high.

The beauty of this pizza is that it is actually rather light.  It isn't bogged down with lots of cheese and sauce, but it still feels rich and indulgent.  Mushrooms add pleasant earthiness, which is balanced by the sweet onions and spicy black pepper.  Taleggio and parmesan add savory and intense cheesiness.  We always serve our pizzas with a zippy arugula salad, which generally is thrown on top of each slice as we eat.

And the wine!  This pizza is uber wine friendly - anything from a brooding Nero d'Avola to some spicy French Syrah will keep you happy, but our pairing was a lovely surprise.

Domain Rolet in the Jura region of France is family-operated and is lauded for their exquisite attention to detail and general respect for the land.  They make traditional, rustic wines and are proud stewards of their vineyards, which are planted in valuable limestone and clay soil.  This bottle of their 2010 Rouge Tradition (Poulsard, Trousseau, Pinot Noir) was an unexpected winner.  I personally love all of the lighter reds from the Jura region, but this particular bottle was more complex and earthy than I was expecting.  It had lovely deep cherry and plum notes with a good hit of black peppery spice, but still remained light and airy on the palate.  Herbal and soft.  For me, it is a near perfect red wine - it lingered in the nose and on the tongue, but wasn't overwhelmingly fruity or tannic.  With every sip or sniff a new flavor presented itself, adding layers and layers of exciting complexity.  And, even more wonderful is the price is square in my wheelhouse - just over $20. 

CACIO E PEPE PIZZA
makes one pizza

1 pizza dough (see my recipe here)
1/2 lb - 1 lb mushrooms, sliced (I always like more mushrooms on my pizza, your pick)
1 onion, sliced
taleggio
parmesan
2 - 3 tablespoons coursely ground fresh black pepper

Preheat your oven as hot as it will go, making sure to place pizza stone on the bottom rack.

Saute your mushrooms and set aside.  Saute the sliced onions until soft and sweet, set aside. 

Roll out your pizza dough.  Top with onions, mushrooms and black pepper.  Cover with grated parmesan and slices of taleggio.  

Slide into oven and cook for about 8 minutes, until crust is browning and the cheese is melted.  Let cool for a minute, then slice and serve!