Carpinone Recipe

prepare dough

If using refrigerated dough, bring each 250–270g ball to room temperature for 45–60 minutes on a lightly oiled tray. Preheat oven with a pizza stone or steel to the highest setting (250–300°C / 475–575°F) for at least 45 minutes. If using a home oven, place stone on top rack; if using a pizza oven, follow manufacturer instructions.

When ready to assemble, lightly flour work surface. Stretch each dough ball into a 10–12 inch (25–30 cm) round, leaving a slightly thicker rim for the crust. Brush the rim with a little olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of fine sea salt over the edges.

make sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red chili flakes and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add the crushed San Marzano tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered 10–12 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in torn basil leaves off heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm or cool to room temperature before spreading on dough.

mix and form polpetti

In a bowl combine ground veal, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, beaten egg, minced garlic, chopped parsley, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Mix gently until just combined; do not overwork. Form small meatballs about 18–22 g each (about 1 inch / 2.5 cm). You should get ~10–12 small polpetti from this quantity.

fry polpetti

Heat neutral oil in a skillet over medium-high heat to 170–180°C (340–360°F) or until shimmering. Fry meatballs in batches, turning to brown all sides, about 4–5 minutes per batch, until golden and cooked through (internal temp ~72°C / 160°F). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. When cool enough to handle, gently crumble or break each meatball into bite-sized pieces for scattering on the pizza.

cook sausage

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add removed-sausage meat and break it up with a spoon. Cook 6–8 minutes until browned and cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add optional chopped sage in the last minute. Drain any excess fat and set aside.

assemble pizza

Spread a thin layer (about 3–4 tbs) of the spicy tomato sauce over each stretched dough round, leaving the rim clear. Scatter the crumbled polpetti evenly over the sauce, then sprinkle the cooked sausage crumble across the pizza. Scatter about 15–20 g grated Parmigiano (reserve the rest for finishing) lightly over each pizza.

bake

Transfer pizza to the preheated stone or steel (use a pizza peel or inverted baking sheet). Bake 6–10 minutes in a very hot oven (time depends on temperature) until crust is blistered and golden and toppings are bubbling. Rotate once for even bake.

finish with burrata and Parmigiano

Remove pizza from oven. Immediately tear open one burrata ball and place the creamy center and curds in the center of each pizza (for two pizzas, split both burrata balls). Scatter remaining shaved or grated Parmigiano over the pizza. Drizzle each pizza with the finishing tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle flaky sea salt and fresh basil leaves.

Slice and serve hot. Each pizza serves 1–2 people depending on appetite; allow a brief rest (1–2 minutes) after baking so the burrata melds with the hot sauce and meats.