Pizza Fiorentina

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A soft boiled egg adds another layer of texture to this sublime pizza Fiorentina recipe from Rojano's in the Square chef proprietor, Paul Ainsworth. The tomato sauce recipe is worth saving in your binder as it can be used in many Italian dishes aside from pizza.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Fiorentina

Tomato sauce

Method

1
For the tomato sauce, place a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and once hot, add the onion, celery, carrot and parsley. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft
2
Next, add the garlic, turn up heat up to full and cook for a few minutes, while stirring. Add the balsamic vinegar and reduce by half. Then add the tomatoes, tomato purée and oregano
3
Season well with salt and pepper, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce thickens and concentrates in flavour. Finish with the basil, check the seasoning and adjust accordingly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before using
4
Preheat the oven to 240˚C/gas mark 9. Prepare the pizza base and add a thin layer of the tomato sauce leaving a 2-3cm gap around the edge. Arrange the olives and mozzarella evenly around the pizza
5
If you have access to a wood fired oven the pizza will cook in 3-4 minutes at 365˚C, otherwise place in the oven for 5-7 minutes until the cheese is just bubbling and the base is crispy
6
Remove the pizza from the oven and finish with the baby spinach, oregano, Parmesan shavings, egg, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately
First published in 2015

Southampton-born Paul Ainsworth got his break courtesy of Gary Rhodes, whom he worked for three years. After that, he moved to Gordon Ramsay's organisation, working first at his flagship Royal Hospital Road restaurant and then with Marcus Wareing at Petrus.

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