Deep Dish Pizza

I have memories of eating deep dish pizza at Pizzeria Uno's Pizza on the Upper West Side (of NYC), where I lived for several years. Since it was on my way home while walking up Columbus Avenue, and a few blocks from the Museum of Natural History, it was an easy place to duck into for a meal.

I was a busy, young professional, so deep dish pizza was a good, hot meal for me (that's when I ate an Entenmann's cake as a quick bite on the run). If you search Uno's on Yelp, the current reviews are not what I remember - funny thing about that.

Unfortunately, I've had several deep dish pizza fails, and this recipe is just ok - but I thought I'd publish it anyway because I like anything baked with lots of cheese and tomatoes, even without a crust (chicken Parmesan comes to mind).

This version of deep dish pizza uses an almond flour tart crust, and I encourage you to set your expectations low (soggy crust), choose a different crust recipe, or go crust-less and add more toppings. You can use any crust you like, and if you don't have a fluted tart pan, just use a pie dish or other baking dish.

All toppings are optional, but the possibilities are endless. Pineapple, chicken, sausage, peppers, onions, or anything you can think of.

PS Here's a link to thin crust pizza.

Pie/Tart Crust

• 1 1/2 cups of almond flour
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (for the crust)
• 3 slices of Havarti cheese or 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese (for the top of the crust)
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
• about 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Pie Filling

• about 2 cups of roasted or stewed tomatoes (I use Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
• 3 slices of Havarti cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Create the pie crust by combining all the dry ingredients, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese into a bowl and blend together. Then add the olive oil and blend well.
3. Pour the crust into a pie dish or tart pan, and spread out evenly. Press the crust down until it is firm and covers the bottom and edges.
4. Place 3 slices of Havarti cheese on the top of the crust to seal out the moisture from the toppings, or pour 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese evenly across the pressed pie crust, and then bake for about 7 minutes (or longer if you want a firmer, darker crust).
5. Take out the pie shell and add the tomatoes to the top. Avoid overloading the top with liquid since it can soften the crust too much. Feel free to add other seasoning or filling items (but avoid anything that is very wet).
6. Add the Havarti cheese slices and then sprinkle the top with about a 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese.
7. Bake the pie at 400 degrees for another 7 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown on top.
8. Cool and enjoy!

Comments

[Tracee]

Yumm, this looks great!

[Tracey]

I made this tonight and it came out great. I set my expectations low, as you suggested, but I was pleasantly surprised!

I used the 3 slices of Havarti baked on the top of the crust to make the "seal", and I also let the cheese re-harden fully before putting the tomatoes on. I used a 14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes, drained. I then wrapped them up in several layers of thick paper towels and let them drain further for about an hour to get all the excess liquid out. I also let the pizza sit for about 40 minutes before slicing. I had no problems with a soggy crust at all. And the almond flour gave the pizza a really nice flavor.

Also, I baked mine for about 20 minutes for the cheese to brown.

Delicious!

[Erica]

Tracey, I'll be following your instructions from now on :)

[Tracey]

Erica:

I keep thinking about how delicious this pizza was and want to make it again! The only thing is, I'm trying to watch my fat and calorie intake and almond flour has a lot of both.

Do you have any suggestions for a lower-fat alternative that could be used for this recipe?

Thanks!

Tracey

[Erica]

Tracey, I guess the cheese has a lot of fat, so you could reduce the amount or go for a low-fat cheese. Also reducing the amount of oil would help.

[Tracey]

Thanks Erica. Is there anything that could substitute for the almond flour?