Award-winning chef. Successful restaurateur. Iron Chef judge. Social media star. Donatella Arpaia has done it all. Still her favorite thing to do is working in the kitchen, creating inspiring dishes using the freshest, most authentic ingredients—including Galbani® cheese. Explore her latest menu ideas and learn tricks of the trade from this inspirational entrepreneur.

Galbani® Zucchini Flower Pizza

INGREDIENTS

DONATELLA'S HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH

2 ¾ tsp. Fresh yeast or active dry yeast
4 ⅛ cups Water
2 ¾ tbsp. Sea salt
12 ⅓ cups “Italian 00” flour
  Oil for greasing
  Nonstick cooking spray

ZUCCHINI FLOWER PIZZA

12” round Pizza dough
¼ cup Canola oil, divided
1 cup Zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup Galbani Whole Milk Fresh Ricotta Cheese
2 tbsp. Galbani Mascarpone
½ cup All-purpose flour
4 Zucchini flowers
1 Galbani Fresh Mozzarella Ovoline, gently torn into 7-8 pieces
  Mint leaves and lemon zest for garnish
  Extra virgin olive oil for garnish

METHOD

DONATELLA'S HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH

  1. Sprinkle the yeast over the water in a bowl and let stand until the yeast is creamy, about 1 minute. Stir until the yeast dissolves.

  2. In a large bowl, add sea salt, then the yeast mixture, and the “Italian 00” flour. Stir until a soft dough ball forms.

  3. Transfer the dough ball to a lightly floured surface and knead—adding more flour if necessary—until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

  4. Lightly coat another large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to oil the top. Cover with plastic wrap and store someplace warm. Let it rise until it doubles in size, about 6 hours.

  5. Cut the dough into 9-ounce pieces and shape the pieces into balls. Place the balls on a nonstick surface or parchment paper, and then cover with plastic wrap, allowing room for the dough to expand. Let the dough rise until doubled, 8–12 hours.

  6. Rest the dough in the refrigerator for 2–4 hours. Your homemade dough is now ready to be baked.

 

ZUCCHINI FLOWER PIZZA

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Parbake 12” round pan of Donatella’s Homemade Pizza Dough and remove.

  2. In a pan with 2 tbsp. of canola oil, fry zucchini until golden. Remove from pan, add salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm.

  3. In a bowl, combine Ricotta and Mascarpone until well incorporated. Spread evenly on pizza, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge.

  4. Pour flour into a dredging container, and dredge the zucchini flowers until covered. In a clean pan with remaining 2 tbsp. of canola oil, fry the flowers gently until golden. Remove from pan, add salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm.

  5. Place pizza back in oven for just a few minutes. Remove when cheese mixture is warmed through.

  6. Arrange zucchini slices, fried zucchini flowers, and torn Ovoline on the pizza.

  7. Garnish with fresh mint, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Pairings

  • Wine & Spirits
  • Beer
  • Proteins
  • Fruits & Vegetables
  • Nuts, Grains & Starches
  • Flavors, Spices & Condiments