I have to give SERIOUS kudos to the chef who created this mouth-watering gourmet pizza! It is extraordinary! The bold, slightly sharp flavor of the Gorgonzola cheese combined with the sweetness of the honey pesto and pears makes this dish more than memorable. Add the unique flavors of Prosciutto and Havarti cheese and you can call it a masterpiece!
You can choose to make this as a main course or as an appetizer. My preference is appetizer style since the pizza is quite rich! Just slice it up and set it out! It makes for a gorgeous display with all of its color and texture.
Also, be sure to eyeball the amount of olive oil when making the pesto. You may prefer to cut back on the suggested amount a bit. If you like things a little less sweet, you can cut back on the honey as well. I keep the honey at a 1/4 cup and simply topple a few extra Arugula leaves on my slices to give the taste a bit more balance.
If you don't have a food processor, no worries. It takes minimal effort to chop up the walnuts with a knife.
To say the least, this pizza defines "melt in your mouth". I promise you. You will thank me later for this one!
Oh, and make sure to have a stack of napkins available for your guests. They'll need it!
- 2 cups walnuts
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 loaf ciabatta bread (about 1 1/3 pounds), halved horizontally
- 10 ounces thinly sliced Havarti cheese
- 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
- 2 pears, halved, cored, thinly sliced
- 2/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
- 2 cups arugula
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Toast nuts on baking sheet until brown, about 6 minutes. Maintain oven temperature. Transfer hot nuts to processor. Add oil, honey, and thyme; blend until nuts are finely chopped. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper.
Place bread halves, cut side up, on baking sheet. Spread pesto over bread, about 1 cup per side. Top with Havarti. Bake until bubbly and golden, about 12 minutes. Top with prosciutto, then pears and Gorgonzola. Tuck in arugula. Sprinkle with pepper.
Makes 12 appetizers or 6 main-course servings.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ciabatta-Pizza-with-Gorgonzola-Walnut-Pesto-and-Pears-232686#ixzz1N2G2mDYd
