Whether you’re an adult who remembers the pizza-loving Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or have kids who are currently into TMNT, you’re going to want to add Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Official Pizza Cookbook to your bookshelf when it becomes available next year.
Written by Peggy Paul Casella, the themed cookbook offers tantalizing pizza recipes for fans of both veggies and meat. The book also features pairing tips and other creative ideas to make your next pizza party a hit.
We’re already counting down the days ’til the book hits the shelves (pre-order a copy online). In the meanwhile, Casella, author of the Thursday Night Pizza blog, is whetting our appetites with this recipe for Turtle-inspired “green” pizza:
Fava Bean Pizza with Marinara, Ricotta, Prosciutto and Mint Recipe
Makes one 12-inch pizza
Ingredients
- 1 cup shelled fava beans, from 1 pound fresh pods
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the dough
- 1 small garlic clove, pressed or very finely minced
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- Fine sea salt
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball Basic Pizza Dough (or pre-made pizza dough)
- 1/2 cup Super-Easy Marinara Sauce or No-Cook Pizza Sauce
- 2/3 to 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 4 slices of thin-sliced prosciutto, chopped or torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Preparation
Place your pizza stone or steel (if using) on an oven rack in the middle of your oven. If you plan to cook your pizza on a baking sheet, just place a rack in the middle of the oven (you do not need to preheat the baking sheet). Preheat the oven to 500°F (or the highest temperature your oven will allow, if using a pizza stone/steel) and let it heat up for at least 30 minutes while you make the dough and/or prepare the toppings.
To prep the toppings: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Add the fava beans to the boiling water and cook until tender, 4–6 minutes, then immediately drain them and transfer to the ice bath. Drain well and slip off the skins from the cooked beans. Place the peeled beans in a medium bowl, along with the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Mash lightly with a fork and season to taste with salt; set aside.
To stretch out the dough: Place the dough on a clean work surface and, using your hands, gently stretch it into a 12-inch square or disk, making sure that it retains the same thickness throughout (more or less).
If you’re using a pizza stone or steel: Dust a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet with flour or cornmeal. Place the dough disk on the prepared peel.
If you’re using a baking sheet: Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the dough disk on the prepared baking sheet.
To top the pizza: Spread the marinara sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Sprinkle the chopped prosciutto evenly over the sauce and spoon the ricotta in small, evenly spaced dollops on top.
To bake the pizza: If you’re using a pizza stone or steel, 10 minutes before you are ready to cook the pizza, increase the oven heat to broil. Slide the pizza from the peel (or inverted baking sheet) to the hot stone or steel using quick shimmying movements. Broil the pizza for 6–8 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese begins to brown in spots. Using the peel or inverted baking sheet, transfer the cooked pizza to a cutting board. If you are making more than one pizza, allow the pizza stone or steel to reheat under the broiler for 5 minutes before you cook the next one.
If you’re using a baking sheet, do not increase the oven to broil. Place the baking sheet on the rack in the middle of the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese begins to brown in spots.
Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes, then spoon the mashed fava beans on top in evenly spaced dollops, sprinkle with mint and drizzle with a little olive oil; slice and serve.
