Pizza with Taleggio Cheese and Zucchini
8 servings
30 minutes
Pizza with Taleggio cheese and zucchini is a refined dish of Italian cuisine that combines the delicate taste of Taleggio, the freshness of zucchini, and the aroma of tomato sauce. Taleggio is a traditional Italian cheese with a soft texture and a tangy creamy note that acquires a delightful creamy consistency when baked. The light crispy pizza base perfectly complements the juiciness of zucchini, previously sautéed in olive oil. The addition of mozzarella gives the dish a stretchy texture, while fresh basil and spices complete the harmony of flavors. This type of pizza is perfect for cozy evenings when you want to enjoy something unusual while still staying true to Italian culinary traditions.
1
In a mixing bowl, combine 1.8 kilograms of regular wheat flour (e.g., 'Sokolnicheskaya') and 300 grams of Italian semolina flour, add 36 grams of salt and 10 grams of sugar, and mix. Dissolve 16 grams of yeast in 200 ml of warm water. Knead the dough by pouring in 500 ml of warm water along with the yeast water into the flour. Then add 220 ml of milk (3.2% is ideal) and continue kneading until the dough becomes elastic. If needed, add a bit more milk. Finally, mix in 50 ml of extra virgin olive oil well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for an hour at room temperature. Then gently knead the dough by hand and refrigerate for half an hour — after that you can start working.
- Salt: to taste
- Olive oil: 1.5 tablespoon
2
Grease the bottom of a 30×20 cm baking dish with olive oil, reserving some for frying the zucchini. Place the pizza dough in the center and shape it into a rough sheet with your hands, adjusting the thickness to the size of the dish. Let it rest in a warm place for fifteen to twenty minutes.
- Olive oil: 1.5 tablespoon
3
Meanwhile, slice a small zucchini into thin long slices using a mandoline, lightly grill in a pan with a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Zucchini: 1 piece
- Olive oil: 1.5 tablespoon
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
4
Take a kilogram of pelati tomatoes and blend them (no whipping needed, otherwise the sauce will lose its color). Tear about 20 grams of basil leaves into the sauce by hand (more or less to taste), add two to three teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and mix.
- Tomato sauce: 140 g
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Olive oil: 1.5 tablespoon
5
Dry the dough in the oven at 250 degrees for five minutes. Then spread tomato sauce and diced mozzarella on it. Place zucchini slices on top, and tear pieces of taleggio over it.
- Tomato sauce: 140 g
- Mozzarella Cheese for Pizza: 200 g
- Zucchini: 1 piece
- Taleggio cheese: 60 g
6
Bake for five minutes at 250 degrees.