Pizza is the perfect meal. You can eat it with your hands, it covers all of the food groups, and even when it’s bad, it’s actually pretty good. We love pies of all kinds, whether they’re super traditional or a modern spin on the classics. Pizza deserves to be loved, praised, and appreciated, which is why we’re celebrating National Pizza Day (Friday, February 9). We asked one of our favorite chefs, Dale Talde, how he’s celebrating the holiday this year.
Talde, along with his partners David Massoni and John Bush, opened his first Manhattan restaurant in the Arlo Nomad Hotel late last year. Massoni is an “inauthentic Italian” restaurant that spins old-school dishes into something entirely new and refreshing. Think fried arancini but with biryani-style rice and malfade pasta with uni, serrano ham, and smoked onion dashi.
“I think that, as we move forward, we will continue to see a wider net of dope-ass pizzas with people pushing the limits beyond your typical NYC and Neapolitan slices,” Talde said. “There will still be a healthy respect for tradition, but the limits of what goes on top of a pizza, as well as what is expected in regards to the crust, will be pushed.”
While we love all the options at Massoni, we’re here for Talde’s take on his favorite pan pizza. The crust is thick, crunchy, and has that slightly oily texture that’s borderline ethereal when it’s done just right. As for the toppings, he uses everything from Buffalo chicken to a mix of pepperoni, pickled peppers, and honey, but we especially love the mushroom pizza combined with French onion mascarpone and smoked mozzarella. Check out the recipe below and do try this at home.
Massoni’s Mushroom Pizza
Ingredients:
- 1 piece pizza dough
- 3 eggs
- 3 oz smoked mozzarella
- 2 oz mozzarella
- 2 oz roasted mushrooms*
- 2 oz French onion mascarpone**’
- Cheddar to taste
Method:
- Top pizza with mozzarella and spread evenly across the pan. Sprinkle the edges with cheddar.
- Top with smoked mozzarella, mushrooms, and raw egg.
- Bake 10-12 minutes.
- Garnish with French onion mascarpone from a squeeze bottle.
Roasted mushrooms*
Ingredients:
- 5 lb mushrooms
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
Method:
- Coat the bottom of a large pan with oil. Once the oil is almost smoking, add in half of the mushrooms.
- Cook until most of the moisture from the ‘shrooms is gone, they should have a nice color on them.
- Add salt to taste and half of the thyme.
- Remove and place on a parchment-lined sheet tray to cool. Repeat with remaining mushrooms.
French onion mascarpone**
Ingredients:
- 5,000 g onions
- 1,000 g mascarpone
- 600 g cream cheese
- 350 g horseradish
- 100 g balsamic vinegar
- 100 g worcestershire sauce
- 70 g shallots, finely chopped
- 10 grams kosher salt
- 5 grams ground black pepper
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
Method:
- Caramelize onions low and slow.
- Once cooled, rough chop the onions.
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Check seasoning.
- Store and label.
