There are two pizzas that left a lasting impression on me in all the years I've had pizza. The first was at Bonnie Brae Tavern, a long time establishment in the beautiful old Denver neighborhood of Bonnie Brae where I had the first pizza in my life without tomato sauce and I was in love. So in love I never went back to red sauce and sausage. Olive oil, mozzarella, garlic and artichoke hearts had made my day and started a trend for me I've never abandoned. Olive oil, cheese and nuts seem to be a constant with either a companion fruit or veggie but I have to say when I first met this Pear, Gorgonzola and Hazelnut Pizza with Mixed Greens I thought I had found my true nirvana.
A new pizza place had opened at a new mall and my daughters were eager to go. Called California Pizza Kitchen, it was light, bright and nothing at all like 'pizza joints' of our experience. While standards were on the menu, I always found that I was drawn to more unique combinations and this is the first pizza I tried there and I'm thinking that 15 years later it might still be the only one I've ever ordered too. Pears, sweet caramelized onions and toasted hazelnuts are topped with chilled greens and served with house-made Gorgonzola ranch.
When we were challenged to do Pizza today for the Food Network's weekly #ComfortFoodFeast; this was the first that came to mind. I actually have not been to California Pizza Kitchen in a long time but it wasn't hard to find out the ingredients from their menu and I'm glad I checked because I might have forgotten the caramelized onions and that would have been a shame.
I did wing it a bit and for good reason. The pizzas I've order at CPK were individual size and I was making a large pizza. I decided to have the base just be cheese, caramelized onions and pears and let people enjoying this pizza with me top it with the salad and if they chose, the toasted nuts and Gorgonzola cheese. I learned a long time ago...those two things are so determined by personal preference and I wanted to make sure my friends enjoyed this too. Research has CPK call the dressing a Gorgonzola Ranch dressing and one site I found hoping to find a recipe suggested mixing Ranch dressing with some Gorgonzola cheese. Nope, can't do it. I don't have any ready made dressings in my fridge so I whipped up something of my own with mayo, buttermilk, sour cream and Gorgonzola and I'm delighted I made more than I needed; it's so good!
I love this pizza and even more I love that I can have this pizza without a trip to Park Meadows Mall. It's quite a bit further from me since a move two years ago so my 'quick' trips there which might have included a lunch stop are rare and now I have one more favorite I can make at home. Score!
Pear, Gorgonzola and Hazelnut Pizza with Mixed Greens
- Pizza dough; homemade or store bought
- Olive oil
- 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, divided
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 pears, cored and sliced
- Fresh greens; I used a combination of Romaine and Radicchio; mixed greens would be nice too.
- ½ cup hazelnuts, toasted
- ½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup buttermilk (I never buy buttermilk, simply add the juice of one lemon to regular milk and let it sit for a few minutes until it thickens)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp Gorgonzola cheese
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spread the pizza out on a pizza stone or baking sheet.
- Brush with some olive oil.
- Sprinkle 1½ cups mozzarella cheese on the dough and top the cheese with the cooked onions.
- Place the pear slices on top of the onions in a circular fashion in two or more rows and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until top is nicely browned.
- Remove from the oven and top individual slices with the greens, toasted nuts, Gorgonzola cheese and dressing.
Want more pizza? Check out these recipes from my peers posting today as well:
