Easy Recipes for the Grill & Cucina – Paggi Pazzo

On Mother’s Day for my beautiful wife and mom, who my children affectionately call Nonna, I made Roman style Tiramisu. It’s a sweet and light dessert that both the adults and kids can enjoy with minimal effort but maximum taste. Today I’m sharing that recipe that can be prepared for Mother’s Day, any holiday or non-holiday for that matter, using traditional Italian ingredients that make a difference in taste – so don’t go all bush-league on us and keep it classy with Paggi Pazzo!

Begin your Roman style Tiramisu by adding 5 egg yolks (that have been sitting at room temperature) to a large bowl with a cup of sugar and mix, then add Italian mascarpone and mix again. In another bowl add a 1/2 cup of whole milk and 1/2 cup of whipping cream and mix until the mixture becomes nice and fluffy, then transfer to the large egg yolk, mascarpone, sugar mixture and mix together. I don’t think Sir-Mix-alot mixes as much as we do in this recipe.

For espresso I use Lavazza (my favorite espresso) but feel free to use another Italian espresso just please refrain from using American coffee (or other espresso impersonators) as it will compromise the taste. I make enough espresso for 6 shots and let cool and pour in a small bowl and then take the Vincenzovo Italian savoiardi biscotti (ladyfingers) which are nice and flaky (and delicious on their own) and dip them in the espresso. Place them across and on top a layer of the mascarpone mixture in a medium size baking glass 8×8 (2-inches deep). Add another thin layer of the mascarpone cream across the pan on top of the savoiardi biscotti and repeat dipping the cookies and adding to the pan a second time. After sprinkle dark chocolate powder that has been mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of Lavazza ground espresso on top of the tiramisu. I would let it chill overnight before serving but if you must insist on cutting into the tiramisu, give it at least 5 hours (you can do it, show patience, I believe in you!)

Since my children were having the Roman style Tiramisu I did not add any alcohol or liqueur but typically I like to add a shot of rum or sambucca to the mascarpone mix to give it a nice little bite. Other regions in Italy will add Marsala or Vermouth instead of rum but feel free to add what you prefer. This recipe is good for 1-1/2 to 2 pans so if you want to make little tiramisu cups with the extra tiramisu, use the same recipe but place the savoiardi biscotti vertically cut in half and then add more mascorpone cream. For a true Roman taste, thinly slice fresh strawberries and add to the mascarpone cream mix or place on top of the tiramisu when ready to serve (Tiramisu con le Fragole). There you have it, Paggi Pazzo’s Roman Style Tiramisu, buon appetito!

Roman Style Tiramisu Recipe

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 hr
Total time: 5 hr 30 min
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Italian mascarpone cheese
• 6 Lavazza espresso shots
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 20 Italian Vincenzovo savoiardi biscotti (ladyfingers)
• 4 tablespoons Dark chocolate powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Lavazza espresso grounds

Cooking Directions

1. Add egg yolk and sugar to a large bowl and mix for 1-2 minutes at low speed, then add mascarpone cheese and repeat
2. In a separate medium bowl, add whipping cream and milk and mix 6-8 minutes at medium speed, then add to large bowl – mix again at low speed for another 2 minutes
3. Add thin layer of mascarpone cream to medium size cooking pan (1-2 inches deep)
4. Place Lavazza espresso in a bowl at room temperature and dip savoiardi biscotti individually then place on top of mascarpone cream, repeat 1 more time
5. Mix chocolate powder and Lavazzo espresso grounds into a bowl and mix, then sprinkle gently on top of tiramisu
6. Let tiramisu chill overnight or at least 5 hours and serve

Paggi Pazzo is back from a long hiatus to share my Tallegio, Soppressatta friuli pizza bianca recipe, grilled to perfection (from what I was told). My long desire to build or buy a brick oven pizza has not prevented me from trying to make brick oven like pizza and recently I purchased a pizza kettle grill. The outcome was pretty darn good with the Taleggio melting nicely on the lightly covered olive oil dough and bits of roasted peppers slightly charring over chopped soppressata friuli. Typically pizza bianca found in Rome is topped with little ingredients or not at all so this is more of a Tuscany meets Rome/Lazio recipe (molto piacere, mi chiamo Lazio! 🙂). So let’s get started on Paggi Pazzo’s pizza bianca with soppressata friuli and taleggio chesse, unless of course you have too much time on your hands like these guys.

To start the pizza I make the dough either well before and freeze or prepare that morning letting the dough rest and rise (for best results make the dough on the same day). After the dough is ready, I lightly cover the pizza peel (spatula) with semolina flower to get a nice crunchy texture on the bottom. Drizzle olive oil over the dough with a pinch of salt, pepper, and thyme. Chop Taleggio into little chunks over the pizza, using a pizza cutter slice strips of soppressata friuli and cover generously on the pizza. Then slice Italian roasted peppers (pre-made or store bought) or eggplant or whatever vegetable you like on top.

To get your pizza kettle grill nice and hot, in a charcoal cylander, add charcoal and wood chunks and once grey and ready, dump into grill pit with the pizza kettle already attached and then add a layer of non-lit charcoal and wood chunks (place the pizza stone then on top carefully using gloves not to burn oneself). This will get the fire temperature up to 800-900 degrees in about 5 minutes. Once the fire is ready, slide the taleggio, soppressata friuli pizza bianca on the pizza stone and watch closely. The pizza will cook in 2-3 minutes so using quarter turns, adjust the pizza and turn every 30 seconds until the dough is charred slightly and turns a golden brown. Rest for a few minutes and drizzle olive oil on top of pizza before slicing and serving. Crack open a nice bottle of Nobile di montepulciano or Chianti reserva and enjoy! There you have it, Paggi Pazzo’s taleggio and soppressata friuli pizza bianca, un il bocca lupo!!!

White Pizza with Taleggio & Soppressata friuli Recipe on the Grill

Prep time: 3 hours
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 3 hours 5 min
Yield: 8 slices

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Taleggio cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups Molino Caputo tipo 00 flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon yeast
• pinch thyme
• 3/4 cup Italian water
• 4 slices Soppressata friuli
• Handful roasted Italian red pepper sliced OR 1 roasted Italian baby eggplant chopped
• 1 tablespoon Semolina flour

Cooking Directions

1. In order to make dough, heat Italian water in a pot for 2-3 minutes until warm then place in a bowl with salt and stir well for several minutes
2. Add yeast into the bowl and stir for at least 5 minutes until yeast dissolves
3. Add 2 cups of Molino Caputo tipo 00 flour to bowl, pouring slowly as you stir, then a tablespoon of olive oil and continue to stir for at least 10 minutes, until dough begins to turn into an elastic substance
4. Place dough on a cutting board or cooking sheet and cover all sides with a little flour, then cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and place under a bowl for at least 3 hours
5. After 3 hours, take dough and kneed for several minutes, covering with flour as necessary until all air bubbles are removed. Then take dough roller and roll, adding more flour when necessary, to a circular shape but not too thin (dough will likely create at least enough for 2 pizzas so feel free to make another or freeze for another time)
6. Add Semolina flour sprinkled across pizza peel then place dough on top
7. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil across dough with pinch of salt, pepper and thyme then chunks of taleggio cheese, sliced soppressta friuli strips and your choice of roasted peppers or roasted baby eggplant
8. Set up pizza kettle kit on grill, start charcoal fire then when ready add to grill pit with wood chunks on top. Then place pizza stone on pizza kettle kit and cover with top. When temperature exceeds 750 degrees, grill is ready for pizza to be cooked
9. Place pizza on top of pizza stone with pizza peel carefully as pizza grill will be very hot. Once pizza is placed on stone, quarter turns every 30 seconds until pizza is cooked throughout in about 3-4 minutes
10. Remove from grill and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Let rest for a few minutes and then slice and serve