Everyone in the pizza community knows Paulie Gee’s for its legendary pies, but the eponymous founder and his wife, Mary Ann Giannone, have far more recipes—and stories from their 15-plus years in pizza—to share with fans. With the Giannones’ permission, here are three highlights from their new book, Pizza From the Heart, aimed at home chefs and dedicated to “all the dreamers willing to take the risks required to pursue their passion.”
Meanwhile, read more about the Giannones’ story in PMQ’s three-part Q&A with the couple: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. Order you copy of the cookbook here.
Vegan Vidalia (Pizza recipe)
This is an homage to the true Sicilian slice, otherwise known as sfincione. Except at the Slice Shop, we stay away from anchovies to make it vegan. —Paulie Gee
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil (extra-virgin not necessary), plus more for greasing
½ c. sesame seeds
1 round Sicilian-Style Dough (see recipe in Pizza From the Heart) or your favorite pizza dough (about 1 lb.)
1 large Vidalia onion, diced (about 2 c.)
1½ c. canned crushed tomatoes or your favorite sauce (see Vegan Tomato Sauce in Pizza From the Heart)
Shredded vegan Parmesan, for sprinkling
Directions:
1. Lightly oil an 11”-by-17” baking pan and cover the bottom with the sesame seeds. Gently lay the dough over the sesame seeds, being careful not to handle the dough too much. Let the dough rise for 3 hours at room temperature, slowly stretching it to the corners of the pan every 30 minutes.
2. About 45 minutes before baking the pie, preheat the oven to 550°F or as high as it will go.
3. In a medium skillet, combine the onion and the olive oil and cook over low heat until the onion is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4. Lightly dimple the dough with your fingers and top with the tomatoes, followed by the onion. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, until the crust is evenly golden brown and crispy. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving. Makes one 11”-by-17” rectangular pie.
Gazpacho
This is a refreshing soup we love to make at home and serve on a hot summer day. It’s a delicious accompaniment to barbecue. The other plus is it allows us to make use of ingredients we always have on hand. —Mary Ann Giannone
Ingredients:
6 c. canned crushed Italian tomatoes
¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 medium red onion, chopped
12 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and finely chopped (reserve some for garnish)
¼ c. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. Aleppo Chile Oil (see recipe in Pizza From the Heart)
Directions:
1. In a food processor, combine 3 c. of the tomatoes, the olive oil, onion, garlic, cucumbers, vinegar, salt, and Aleppo Chile Oil. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour into a large bowl, add the remaining 3 c. tomatoes and 4 c. water, and whisk vigorously to combine. Chill the gazpacho in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
3. Serve individual portions in bowls, drizzled with olive oil and garnished with a few pieces of chopped cucumber. Serves 6 to 8.
Rigatoni & Broccoli
I adapted this from the broccoli “a crudo” recipe in the Rome-Lazio section of Ada Boni’s Italian Regional Cooking by serving it over rigatoni and adding mozzarella—whole-milk mozzarella. Don’t you dare ruin this dish by trying to make it low-fat. And DO NOT add any form of grated cheese. —Paulie Gee
Ingredients:
Fine sea salt
½ lb. large rigatoni
½ c. olive oil (extra-virgin not necessary)
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 broccoli head, divided into florets
1 c. dry white wine
8 oz. low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese, diced
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt it generously. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot until ready to use.
2. Meanwhile, once you’ve added the pasta to the boiling water, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in ¼ c. of the olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and cook, stirring until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and the remaining ½ c. olive oil and cook, stirring regularly, until the broccoli begins to soften and the florets start to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the alcohol cooks off, about 5 minutes.
3. Place the mozzarella in a large serving bowl and add the hot pasta, stirring vigorously. Add the broccoli mixture and stir until the cheese has fully melted, then serve. Serves 4.
