Hot Coppa Cast Iron Pizza – AKA: The Pizza from Tony Soprano’s Dreams
How you get “gabagool” from capocollo, I don’t know, but I guess that’s not my place. Any way I look at it, hot coppa, especially when it comes from Molinari & Sons, a staple from my hometown of San Francisco, is my favorite Italian deli meat. Enjoy by itself as an antipasto, or in a combo sandwich with some Italian dry and maybe some prosciutto, and holy baby Jesus, I’m right where I’m supposed to be.
But sometimes I want even more of a wow factor. Let’s put my favorite slice of pork on one of my favorite comfort foods and see where the night takes us. Also, who doesn’t like pizza? I even get to use my cast iron pan, which is so versatile since you don’t have to worry about any upper heat limits like other pans. Everything fits all nice and tidy in there, so you don’t have to worry about any toppings or melted cheese spilling anywhere.
Both the sauce and the meat have a bit of spice to them, which is pretty standard fare when it comes to my recipes. You don’t have to use the hot versions of the meat if you can’t find them or you don’t want them, but for me, it sure does add. In the end, you’ll have Tony Soprano raiding the fridge in no time with this one, if it even lasts long enough to be put in there.
Serving Size: 2 or 3…or 1 Me on a food bender
Sauce:
- 1 – 15 oz. can of Tomato Sauce
- 1 – 6 oz. can of Tomato Paste
- 3 Tbsp. fresh Basil, diced
- 1 tsp. fresh Rosemary, minced
- 2 tsp. dried Oregano
- 2 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1 tsp. Onion powder
- 3 Calabrian Chilies, minced
- 1 tsp. Calabrian Chili Oil
- 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 Pinch each Sea Salt, Black Pepper
Pizza:
- 12 inch Cast Iron Skillet
- 1 lb. Ready Made Pizza Dough
- 9 Slices Hot Coppa (aka – Capocollo, Capicola, “gabagool”…)
- 9 Slices Hot Soppressata
- 9 slices Peppered Italian Dry Salami
- 10-12 oz. Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese
- Fresh Basil to garnish
- Parmigiano and Red Chili Flakes if so inclined
1.) We gotta make the sauce first, so it gets to marinate in its own juices while we’re putting the rest of the pizza together. Preheat a medium saucepan to medium heat, add some olive oil, and add your tomato paste. Heat it up just to get it a little warm and pliable, for about 30 seconds, and then add your herbs. I chose the standard go-to basil for some sweetness, some oregano for some savory, and a little rosemary for complexity. Mix it all up and add the tomato sauce, then your minced peppers, and salt and pepper, stirring until everything is well blended. Simmer on low for 15 minutes, stirring every other minute or so. Remove from heat, and set aside for later. The simmering allows everything to release their flavors better and meld together.
I’ve toned down the spice for the recipe from my own personal usage, so feel free to add more spice to the sauce if you prefer. Whatever you do, make sure the sauce is a little spicier than you’d feel comfortable with since once the whole pizza is put together, you lose some of the bite. Try to find a good spot that works for you.
One thing you might notice is that even on low, the sauce may decide, seemingly out of nowhere, to explode onto your previously clean stovetop and anywhere else it can reach. Feel free to put a lid on top between your stirrings.
2.) For the dough, I used a store-bought fresh ball of pizza dough, but feel free to make your own if you’re so inclined. You’ll have to look elsewhere for that recipe, however. If you want to use a pre-made crust, you might as well stop here and just order a pizza.
Follow the instructions on your dough, if it came with any, but I’ll give you some basic guidelines here. Take your dough out for at least 30 minutes before you start. Well season your countertop with all purpose flour so the dough doesn’t stick and plop that ball right on down. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into approximately 12 inches in diameter. If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can use any cylindrical object like a wine bottle (you know who you are) or an old clothing rod from a closet that an electrician had to remove when he installed a new, larger breaker box and the rod no longer fit in said closet.
3.) Preheat your oven to Bake at 550 F. If your oven doesn’t go that high, set it to the highest it can go. If you have a pizza oven, what are you doing here with us ‘poors’?
Evenly coat the skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil and place your flattened dough inside and make sure it reaches at least the edges. Now, distribute a nice even layer (or two) of sauce almost to the edges of the dough. We’re not going for a large crust here. Next, slice up your mozzarella, using about 2/3 of a 1 lb. log, into somewhat thin slices and lay them down in a circular fashion with just a bit of over lap over the layer of sauce for good cheesy coverage. Then, layer your deli meats also in a circular fashion, topping with the coppa for a dramatic, well marbled look. The Soppressata gives a nice large base, the peppered salami gives an earthy, peppery middle, and the coppa gives a fatty, oily topper that really visually pops on the table.
Another tip is that you’ll want to place the slices as close to the edge as possible because as the meat cooks, it will shrink and move closer to the center. It will look like you’re way overloading the pizza, but when it’s done, it’ll look as it should.
4.) Pop that thing in the oven for 10 minutes and check to see if everything is to your liking. Is the cheese melted enough? Does the meat have a little crisp to it? Is the crust a golden brown? If yes is the answer to all of these, you’re good to go. You can definitely over cook everything. Just because the crust doesn’t have that perfect char, it won’t, because your oven doesn’t get hot enough, so don’t worry about it. Just stay calm and DON’T OVERCOOK IT!
Take it out, let it cool for 10 minutes, and carefully extract the pizza with a spatula or two from the SCALDING hot cast iron pan, and set it down on a cutting surface. Throw on some chopped basil, maybe even let it sit again for a short while, slice it up and serve.
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