Skip to main content

'Nduja Pizza + LangeTwins Winery & Vineyards 2018 Aglianico Rosé #LodiWine #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with a virtual wine tasting event hosted by 
Snooth for Lodi Wines. Wine samples were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.

So, when R came back from his Spring break trip to Italy and Greece, he commented that everyone was impressed with how fresh and tasty the food was. He said, "Ehh...this is what my mom cooks everyday. Squid ink pasta, risotto, homemade pizza." Okay, my family is a little spoiled. Maybe more than a little. 

And, when I asked him what meal he wanted as his welcome-home dinner, he said, "Asian or Mexican." He had had enough Mediterranean food to last him...well, a week. Because exactly a week after he returned, he asked if I could make pizza. Done.


He wanted Margherita pizza. I added some 'ndjua to pair with a wine from Lodi that was part of a virtual tasting earlier this week. You can read about that in my Malfatti di Ricotta con Basilico e Gamberi Agli Agrumi post. But, basically, I received six different bottles of wine from Lodi to explore and pair.
In My Glass

I was excited to try the LangeTwins' Aglianico Rosé because I've had the varietal before, but only as as a red wine, not a Rosé. Aglianico is an Italian varietal known to be acidic, tannic, and beautifully full-bodied. As a rosé, these all offer an alluring complexity to the wine.


Aromas of strawberry and rhubarb carry through to the palate and the pleasing balance of fruit, acid, and body make this wine delightful. And with its acidic depth, it paired beautifully with my 'Nduja pizza. Even more lovely is that the wine is certified sustainable.

This wine prompted a deeper discussion about comprehensive sustainability standards with a holistic approach to farming and concern about the ecosystem as a whole. Very interesting! Some descriptors used from the panel: lean, crisp, and an observation that the rhubarb adds interest. I wholeheartedly agree.

On My Plate

I already explained why we were having pizza. But, instead of plain Margherita pizza for all, I wanted to add a little smoky intrigue with 'nduja.


If you're unfamiliar, 'nduja is a spicy, smoky, funky spreadable prosciutto. I like to pinch off pieces and add them to pizza like a sausage topping.

My favorite pizza crust is Mark Bittman's "No Work Mostly Whole Wheat Pizza Dough." This is the easiest pizza dough I have ever made! But it does require lots of lead time. The recipe suggests letting the dough ferment for six to twelve hours and that the longer you let it ferment, the more complex the flavor.

Ingredients makes two 12" thin crust pizzas

Basic Dough makes 2 pizzas, depending on size
  • 2 C whole wheat flour
  • 1 C white flour
  • 1/2 t active dry yeast
  • 1 t salt
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1-1/2 C warm water

Sauce (you have enough for four pizzas)
  • 1 large can San Marzano tomatoes, whole (I used an 800g can)
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
  • 1 t crushed oregano leaves
  • freshly ground salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 T olive oil

Toppings
  • fresh mozzarella, thickly sliced
  • 'nduja

Finishing
  • fresh organic basil leaves

Procedure

Basic Dough
Mix all of the dough ingredients together in a large bowl. The texture will be a wet, sticky dough. Cover and let ferment for as long as you can - between six and twelve hours. At the end of that, use the dough as you would use any pizza dough.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Divide the dough into two or three pieces, depending on how large or small you want the pizzas. Roll the dough into an oval shape on your silicone mat or parchment-lined baking sheet.

Or, if you have someone more adventurous, you can toss them. Here's how that conversation went last night...

J: Are you going to throw the dough in the air?
C: What?
J: Are you going to throw the dough?
C: How many years have I been making pizza for us? Have I ever thrown the pizza dough?
J: Let me try!
C: Okay.
 

Sauce
Place all of the ingredients - except for the olive oil - in a large skillet. And bring to a boil. Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to smash the tomatoes into a sauce. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the sauce it thickened. Stir in olive oil and remove from heat.

Pizza
Once the dough is rolled, or tossed, to your desired thickness, spoon some of the sauce onto the crust and spread to within 1/2" of the edge. Place slices of mozzarella and dollops of 'nduja over the top. Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.


Finishing
Remove the pizzas from the oven and gently press three or four whole basil leaves into the cheese. Serve immediately.


Find the Sponsors...
Lodi Wines on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram
Snooth on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram

*Disclosure: I received sample wines for recipe development, pairing, and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce