Celebrity chef, cookbook author and restaurant owner Michael Chiarello has taken this classic Italian flatbread and given it a unique American twist by serving it filled with cool salad ingredients which customers fold and eat like a sandwich.
Chiarello's piadines are among the most popular offerings at Tomatina, his California chain of family-style restaurants.
During a recent trip to Walnut Creek, Tribune reader Judy Dahlquist enjoyed the Caprese Piadine filled with hearts of romaine, fresh mozzarella and oven-dried tomatoes.
The Tomatina staff was happy to share the recipe, noting that other filling options - and Chiarello's recipe for homemade pizza dough - are available on his Web site: www.napastyle.com/kitchen/recipes.
Requests:
Cece Holt enjoys the sweet-potato corn chowder served at the Citris Grill, 2991 E. 3300 South. Unfortunately, the owners are not willing to share the secrets to their signature soup. Do cooks have a similar recipe?
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* Send requests or responses to Cuisine Quest, c/o The Salt Lake Tribune, 90 S. 400 West, Suite 700, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, or kathys@sltrib.com
Caprese Piadine
Roasted tomatoes:
3 to 5 "meaty" Roma or other fresh tomatoes, cut into 1/2 -inch slices
Olive oil
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
For each sandwich:
6 ounces prepared pizza dough, (homemade or purchased)
2 ounces basil pesto, room temperature
1/2 ounce, plus 1 teaspoon Parmesan or pecorino cheese, grated
3 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
5 romaine lettuce leaves, preferably from the inner part of the head
1 ounce balsamic vinaigrette (homemade or purchased)
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Grease foil generously with olive oil. Arrange tomato slices cut side up on a baking sheet, flipping them to coat with oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake until the tomatoes are soft and shriveled but still retain some moisture. This will take several hours. Timing will depend on how large and juicy the tomatoes are. Remove from oven and cool completely. Use immediately, or arrange tomatoes in a plastic container, making no more than two layers. Add olive oil to cover completely, then cover tightly and refrigerate.
For one piadine, heat oven to 475 degrees.
Roll dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter. Place on a baking sheet or a perforated pan or screen. Spread pesto evenly over dough to within 1-inch of the edge. (Thin pesto with olive oil to make an easy spreading consistency.)
Sprinkle pesto with 1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese. Bake until light golden in color, about 5 minutes. Do not overbake or your the bread won't fold into a sandwich.
Remove from oven. On one half of the bread, place 3 mozzarella slices in a fan design. Place 3 oven-dried tomato slices next to the mozzarella. In a bowl toss the lettuce with the balsamic vinaigrette and 1 teaspoon Parmesan. Place lettuce leaves on top of tomatoes and cheese.
To eat, fold the sandwich in half and eat like a giant taco.
Makes 1 piadine.
Source: Tomatina restaurants
