Il Cucinologo
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Pinsa with Ricotta, Pesto and Mortadella

17/11/2023

I can share with you a recipe for a pinsa with ricotta, pesto and mortadella, with an Italian touch. The pinsa is a version of pizza, typical of Rome, with a crispier and more digestible base. For the preparation of a homemade pinsa, we will focus first on the base and then on the toppings.

Ingredients for the pinsa base:

  • 250 g pizza flour (you can use a mix of 00 flour and remilled semolina)
  • 160 ml water
  • 10 g fresh yeast (or 3 g dry yeast)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for the topping:

  • 150 g ricotta
  • 100 g Genoese pesto
  • 150 g mortadella in thin slices
  • Extra virgin olive oil (to taste)

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the dough for the pinsa base. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in part of the lukewarm water and let it rest for a few minutes until it starts to form bubbles.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt, add the oil and the yeast-water mixture. Begin kneading, gradually adding the rest of the water until you obtain a homogeneous and slightly sticky dough.
  3. Let the dough rise in a warm place covered with a damp cloth for 1-2 hours or until doubled in volume.
  4. Stretch the dough by hand into the typical oval shape of pinsa on a lightly oiled baking tray.
  5. Spread the ricotta over the pinsa base, leaving a free border around the edge.
  6. Add the Genoese pesto on top of the ricotta, distributing it evenly.
  7. Finally, lay the mortadella slices on the pinsa.
  8. Bake in a preheated oven at 250 °C for about 10-12 minutes or until the pinsa is golden and crispy at the edges.

Although the ricotta and pesto do not require further cooking, the short baking time will allow them to warm slightly to enhance their flavors and blend with the mortadella.

Trivia

The pinsa, although less known than classic Neapolitan pizza, is enjoying considerable success even outside its city of origin, Rome. Its name derives from the Latin “pinsere”, meaning to stretch or flatten, and it is precisely its oval and flat shape that makes it unmistakable. Its peculiarity lies in the crust’s texture, which is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. This recipe with ricotta, pesto and mortadella is a well-balanced combination of flavors, uniting the freshness of ricotta, the aromatic quality of pesto and the intense taste of mortadella.