by Tomato Wellness | Jun 10, 2021 | Food and Nutrition
Pizza is everyone’s love language. Learn how to respect the sauce with this guest post from pizza expert Tony Gemignani, a 12-time World Pizza Champion, master instructor at the International School of Pizza, two-time Food Network gold medalist, restaurateur of 21 concepts, author and reality television personality.
There is nothing like having a pizza with SAUCE ON TOP! I have been preaching this longer than I can remember. I always say pizza and food, in general, is about balance. Each bite should take you through a journey. My sauce has never been understated when it comes to my pizza, it has always stood out. I take pride in it as I do with all other ingredients.
Nowadays young pizza makers, chefs, or bakers that come into our industry always want to be known for their dough and starters. I know this because I use starters in practically all of my dough recipes before it became mainstream but I never let it overcome my pizza. But it’s when guys say “did you taste my pizza? What do you think of my starter it’s like 100 years old?” For me that can be something great to brag about but I don’t want my customers, some critic, writer, blogger or hot shot primadonna kid coming up the ranks remembering my starter.? I want them to remember me for my pizza.
Sometimes it takes one longer to learn this way of thinking, sometimes they never learn this at all. Sauce, dough, and cheese or dough, sauce and cheese, whatever it is one can overcome or overcompensate the other. They should be harmonious.
We make several styles of pizzas at all my restaurants with SAUCE ON TOP, Grandma’s, Detroit’s, Sicilians, Deep Dish, Jersey Tomato Pies, Neapolitan Marinara, Coal Fire Tomato Pies, Cast Irons the list goes on. As a pizza purist I pay homage to every style of pizza. With nearly 30 years in the pizza industry, I have been fortunate enough to try pizzas from all over the world and my favorites have always been with SAUCE ON TOP.
My palate, as well as myself, have evolved. The young Tony wanted to do what hasn’t been done when it came to cooking. Nothing is sexier than recreating a pizza that was from so long ago. What’s old is new again. SAUCE ON TOP is in this category. For me the flavor, simplicity, strength of the pie, bake, all play an important factor. I teach this to my students and practice this every day.
My mission statement, my mantra, my everyday way of life is “Respect the Craft” say hello to “Respect the Sauce”
Guest post by Tony Gemignani, a 12-time World Pizza Champion, master instructor at the International School of Pizza, two-time Food Network gold medalist, restaurateur of 21 concepts, author and reality television personality. Gemignani is the president of the World Pizza Champions, is also a Guinness World Record holder and is the owner and executive chef of several restaurants.
by Tomato Wellness | Aug 2, 2019 | Recipes
Yes, pizza CAN be a health food! This recipe for Thin Crust Spinach Pizza is ready in under 30 minutes and is filled with nutritious ingredients, vitamins, and minerals!
Spinach is awesome! And as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I want to celebrate everyday like it’s national spinach day. And spinach, tomato sauce and cheese? One of the best combos. I’ve cooked up a super quick and easy dinner recipe for spinach pizza that I’d love to share with you. I’m a fan of healthy convenience – that means cooking from scratch when you can, shopping for healthy packaged foods, and using time-savers to get dinner on the table pretty darn fast. My shortcuts here? Frozen chopped spinach, jarred pizza or marinara sauce, pre-crumbled feta, and whole-wheat flatbread. No need to rinse, sauté, boil, mince, crumble, mess up six pots and pans, or roll out dough that clearly has no interest in flattening out. If you’d like to sub the shortcuts for homemade dough or fresh spinach or some other ingredients, I know it’s going to taste awesome, I have no doubts. But these shortcuts are great for busy nights and dishwashing-haters like me.
Indulge me for a second while I opine about spinach. I load this pizza up with the stuff. Why? Well, 2 cups is 89% water, which means it’s naturally low-calorie and filling. For just 129 calories, you get 15 grams of protein and 14 grams of fiber, which helps you feel satisfied, and supports muscle growth and development and bowel regularity. To get the same amount of protein, you’d need to eat 6 slices of turkey and you wouldn’t get any fiber. Plus, those 2 cups of spinach are high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin E, and a good source of zinc and vitamin C. And bonus – the vitamin C in the pizza sauce will enhance iron absorption!
So here’s the recipe. Perfect for a busy night. Fun to make with kids. Great for singles. Or couples. Or parties.
Ingredients
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1 whole wheat flatbread or lavash (I used Trader Joe’s whole wheat lavash bread)
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1/4 cup good pizza sauce or marinara sauce
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2 cups frozen, chopped spinach, cooked. Squeeze out excess water.
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3 artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
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1/4 cup chopped fresh buffalo mozzarella
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2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees FahrenheitLine a baking sheet with tinfoil.
- Pre-crisp the flatbread by baking it for 2 minutes on each side (4 minutes total).
- Spread the marinara on the toasted flatbread, leaving a 1-inch border of crust.
- Cover evenly with chopped spinach.
- Arrange the artichokes on the spinach.
- Add chopped mozzarella.
- Sprinkle feta cheese on top.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the goat cheese is slightly brown and the mozzarella has melted.
Caroline Kaufman MS, RDN is a Los Angeles-based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, freelance writer, blogger and media spokesperson. Her advice has been featured in Health, EatingWell, Real Simple, Fox News, PBS Parents, upwave, and Food and Nutrition Magazine. Caroline loves to help busy people achieve their nutrition goals without adding stress; if you like the sound of that, check out her blog and follow her on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.
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