Wine Pairing: Pizza and Wine ... Not an Urban Myth

I must admit, I have been a little obsessed with baking my own pizzas lately.  The refrigerated section of the grocery store makes it so easy for you! The pre-made crusts are delicious and inexpensive.  Since my short rib flatbread recipe was such a big hit, the Baron des Chartrons Bordeaux 2009 caught my attention as my next great pizza-pairing wine.

What makes the Baron des Chartrons great for pizza is the blend of Cabernet and Merlot. The balance of tannins lets you be creative with pizza toppings. You don’t have to stick with an acidic red sauce, or limit yourself to a white pizza – you can do both! And that is exactly what I did with roasted tomatoes and fresh ricotta.  I am also a big fan of red wines that pair with chicken.  I try to keep my weeknight menus relatively healthy, straying from red meats, but I am also a girl who likes to have a glass of wine with dinner. This wine let’s be have the best of both worlds!  (And PS, this pizza is great cold the next day J)

Ingredients
1 lb chicken sausage (your choice of flavors, I used a Roasted Garlic
& Herb)
½ cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
2 large tomatoes, sliced into ½ inch pieces
1 package store bought pizza dough, thin crust
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons each garlic powder, dried oregano
Salt and pepper
¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 lb fresh ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon finely diced fresh chives

Mix chicken sausage and breadcrumbs in a large bowl until well combined.  Start forming into small meatballs.  Add more breadcrumbs if needed, but you only want enough to keep the meatballs together and not dry them out. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomato slices on a cooling rack, on top of a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until soft in the center and crisp around the edges.

Stretch pizza dough to fit into a baking sheet, leaving a small crust on each edge. Brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings,
salt and pepper.  Bake for 7 minutes until lightly brown.

While crust is baking, brown meatballs in a non-stick skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Top pre-baked crust with meatballs, tomatoes and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 5 minutes until meatballs and crust are finished cooking.

Remove crust from oven. Using  a small ice cream scoop, add dollops of ricotta to pizza. Place back in oven and turn off heat. Let sit for 5 minutes in the oven to warm through the ricotta, without cooking it.

Remove from oven, top with chives and serve!

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