White Pizza with Clams & Pancetta
So named because it includes no tomato sauce, our white pizza is topped with clams, pancetta, mozzarella cheese and fresh herbs. Then it is cooked to perfection on an outdoor grill. For tips on using a pizza peel and shucking clams, click on the links at right.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 3 Tbs. semolina flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1 batch Thin Crust Pizza Dough
- 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 4 oz. pancetta, cooked and broken into pieces
- 2 to 2 1/2 lb. littleneck or steamer clams,
shucked, drained and roughly chopped
Directions
Prepare a grill for indirect grilling over medium-high heat. Preheat a grill-top pizza stone for at least 30 minutes, until the thermometer on the stone registers 500°F.
In a small fry pan over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until it just begins to sizzle, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the garlic oil to a bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the semolina flour, salt and pepper. Dust a pizza peel with 1 to 2 Tbs. of the semolina mixture. Using your hands, stretch out half of the pizza dough into a 10- to 12-inch round and lay the dough on the peel. Spread 1 to 2 Tbs. of the garlic oil over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle with half of the rosemary, parsley, cheese, pancetta and clams.
Carefully slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone, cover the grill and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover the grill and turn the pizza 180 degrees. Cover the grill and continue cooking until the crust is golden, 5 to 7 minutes more. Using the pizza peel, transfer the pizza to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil. Repeat to make the second pizza. Cut the pizzas into slices and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
In a small fry pan over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until it just begins to sizzle, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the garlic oil to a bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the semolina flour, salt and pepper. Dust a pizza peel with 1 to 2 Tbs. of the semolina mixture. Using your hands, stretch out half of the pizza dough into a 10- to 12-inch round and lay the dough on the peel. Spread 1 to 2 Tbs. of the garlic oil over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle with half of the rosemary, parsley, cheese, pancetta and clams.
Carefully slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone, cover the grill and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover the grill and turn the pizza 180 degrees. Cover the grill and continue cooking until the crust is golden, 5 to 7 minutes more. Using the pizza peel, transfer the pizza to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil. Repeat to make the second pizza. Cut the pizzas into slices and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.