Fresh Mozzarella, Fontina and Prosciutto Cotto Calzone – Get in The Zone!

Who doesn’t like a good calzone? Anyone? For those of you not familiar with the calzone (and have been living in North Korea for the last 50 years), it’s basically a pizza inside out with virtually the same ingredients but for clarification, the pronunciation is “cal-zone-eh“. Almost like you were doing an imitation of the Fonze while you’re finishing the last syllable. It’s also imperative you use hand gestures like these guys when speaking of “the calzone“!. The phrase in Italian translates to “pants” and to be quite honest it makes absolutely no sense! I mean, really “pants”? C’mon!!! Ok,ok….settle down. I actually left an important part out. The translation refers to a “pants pocket”…….which could mean something like a pizza filled entree but I’m still not sure I’m buying this?!?!?! Let’s move on, shall we? I like to prepare a homemade calzone similar to a stromboli (which includes red sauce in the middle) but unlike here in the States where provolone or sliced mozzarella is used and a stromboli is rolled (which I do not do for the calzone), I prefer fresh mozzarella and fontina cheese with prosciutto cotto (one of my personal favorites), mushrooms, extra basil, and a light sprinkling of grated Reggiano Parmigiano on top. I was feeling pretty bold when I decided to prepare some homemade calzoni (plural) for my cousin from Rome who was recently visiting with friends and offering Italian food to Italians can be a dicey proposition, but I was in the “Calzone-Zone” my friends, I was feeling it! Thankfully, this recipe got a nod of approval from them and the food went fast, as did the Nastro Azzurro and vino! So if that’s any indication I think you’ll find this recipe to pass the test because once you get into the zone of making the calzone (aka…the “Calzone-Zone!”), you’ll feel like a dancing machine that can’t be stopped!

To get started, I buy a 16 oz. pizza dough (but you can certainly make your own homemade dough), and flour both sides before rolling with a dough roller back and forth to get a nice oval shape, but one that is not too thin (we’re going to fold the dough over so depending on how many ingredients you want to add into the filling, I would not roll the dough too excessively to put too much weight on the bottom). Add the dough onto a cooking sheet pan that has been dressed very lightly with olive oil and begin to make a column of all the ingredients layered on top of one another. I prefer to start with the fresh mozzarella, followed by the prosciutto cotto, basil, mushrooms, and fontina but feel free to blaze your own trail! Once the filling is settled, fold over the dough and press the edges together with a dab of olive oil and slightly roll the edges to create a pretzel like outside. This makes sure that the filling won’t escape (leave no ingredient behind!!!). Once completed, sprinkle grated Reggiano Parmigiano on top with a drizzle of olive oil and cut four small slits across (this will allow the dough to rise without air bubbles forming during the cooking process). Now you’re in the zone! Or should be in the zone….but we’re not talking Top Gun Danger Zone here, we’re talking “Calzone-Zone“! You’ll get it eventually, don’t be beat yourself up….really, relax! Just let it come to you.

Set your oven to 425 degrees and cook for 25 minutes and then you’ll have a golden calzone ready to be devoured! I would wait to cut the calzone for 10-15 minutes after removing from the oven so the inside finishes cooking and use a pizza cutter to slice the servings, I find that it works better. Some people like red sauce on the side to add to the calzone so if you prefer by all means do so! I personally think the sauce will takeaway from some of the calzone flavors and I couldn’t help but notice that my cousin and his friends did not partake either (but to each his own, right?). My wife loves the sauce on the side for a variety of things so I make sure to appease her when possible (#1 lesson in life). So there you have it, Homemade Calzone Recipe from Paggi Pazzo, get in the Calzone-Zone my friends!

Homemade Calzone Recipe

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 25 min

Total time: 40 min

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 8 ounces crushed tomatoes (San Marzano)
• 4 thin slices prosciutto cotto
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella
• 4 ounces fontina
• 2 tablespoons grated Reggiano Parmigiano
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 10 fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup white mushrooms
• 16 ounce fresh dough
• handful flour
• pinch of salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

1. In order to make the sauce, add oil to pan at medium heat for 2 minutes.
2. Add garlic and 2 chopped basil leaves for 3 minutes
3. Add crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper and let cook for 30 minutes at low heat
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
5. While sauce is slowly cooking, add flour to top and bottom of dough (click here for homemade dough recipe)
6. Begin to poke and stretch dough slowly to flatten out
7. Take dough roller and spread dough out to a large oval shape
8. Lightly brush cooking sheet pan with olive oil
9. Once dough is nice and flat, put dough on cooking sheet and add sauce to bottom half of dough with an inch space of the edges (keep dry for folding)
10. Add thinly sliced fresh mozzarella over sauce across the dough in a line like fashion, then prosciutto cotto slices ripped into pieces, followed by fresh basil leaves, mushrooms, and thin slices of fontina
11. Brush a little olive oil around the edge of the bottom half of the dough and pull the top half over and begin to seal edges by rolling dough slightly and pinching together
12. Add grated Reggiano Parmigiano across top with a sprinkle of olive oil, then place in oven
13. Cook calzone for 25 minutes or until crust on bottom and top is a nice golden brown
14. Take calzone out and let rest for 10-15 minutes
15. Slice and ready to serve!