Today’s Friday Night Slice was inspired by a pie posted by @baconluv, an Instagram friend who lives down in Portland. A few weeks ago she posted a killer looking cherry pizza from a place called Lucca. I filed it away in my brain and last night, with a handful of cherries chilling out in my refrigerator, it was finally time to have a go at a pizza pie with cherries. This one I’m calling the Neil Diamond (Cherry, Baby). In retrospect, looking at the pictures, maybe I should have called it Purple Rain.
The original had cherries, caramelized onions, prosciutto, basil and goat cheese. Riffing off that brilliant idea, this pie goes strictly vegetarian and includes thinly shaved red onions, arugula, fresh mozzarella, goat cheese and basil along with the cherries. Other stone fruit would be good with this combo, too…I’m thinking nectarines or peaches. Ah, summer. You’re too good to us.
FridayNightSlice: The Neil Diamond (Cherry, Baby)
Ingredients
- 1 ball pizza dough
- 6-8 red cherries, pitted and halved
- 1/4 c. fresh mozzarella, cubed
- 1/4 of a small red onion, thinly shaved on a mandolin (about 1/4 c.)
- 4-5 goat cheese nubs
- 10-12 arugula leaves
- 2 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
Instructions
Preheat oven to 500F for 1 hour to heat your baking steel or stone, if using.
Turn the heat up to broil.
Pat the dough ball into an ~8 inch circle. Sprinkle on the onions, arrange the cherry halves and mozzarella cubes evenly around the pie. Bake for 4-5 minutes until the crust is browned and cheese is melted.
Sprinkle on the arugula and basil. Add the goat cheese and serve.
