Pizza Alla Benno: Speck, Pineapple, Jalapeños, Mozzarella, and Tomato

Name: Pizza Alla Benno: Speck, Pineapple, Jalapeños, Mozzarella, and Tomato
Yield: makes 1 pizza (serves 1)
Ingredients: 1 round of Nancy’s Pizza Dough (page 126); 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; Kosher salt; 1/4 cup Passata di Pomodoro (page 25) or tomato sauce; 2 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, cut into 1-inch cubes; 8 very thin round slices jalapeño pepper; 10 paper-thin pineapple slices (cut the skin off the pineapple, cut the pineapple in half lengthwise, and slice the pineapple on a mandoline, including core; about 2 ounces); 4 thin slices speck or prosciutto (about 1/2 ounce); 1 fresh chive

January 26, 2012

I created this pizza, an upgraded take on “Hawaiian pizza,” typically made with Canadian bacon and canned pineapple, for my son, Ben. When he was growing up, that’s the pizza he always ordered and I cringed at the combination every time. When I opened up my own pizzeria, I wanted to come up with a pizza using the same or similar ingredients that would please both Ben and me. We start with fresh pineapple and slice it paperthin so it caramelizes in the oven, and we use speck in place of Canadian bacon. But what I think really makes this pizza is the addition of jalapeño peppers. Their heat cuts through the sweetness of the pineapple.

Recipe notes

Mango Sticky Rice

Khao niaow ma muang, or steamed coconut sticky rice with ripe mango, is a classic in Thai cuisine—and you can make it at home.

Easy Egg Custard

With just a handful of ingredients, this old-fashioned egg custard is the little black dress of dinner party desserts—simple and effortlessly chic.

Simple Hot Cocoa for One

With rich chocolate flavor and easy customization, this hot cocoa recipe is just the one you want to get you through winter.

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

Crispy Salmon With Avocado Sauce

You’ll want to put this creamy (but dairy-free) green sauce on everything and it’s particularly sublime under crispy-skinned salmon.

Sheet-Pan Chicken Souvlaki

Tender, juicy chicken skewers are possible in the oven—especially when roasted alongside spiced chickpeas and finished with fresh tomatoes and salty feta.

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken With Summer Salad

Charred chicken breasts coated in a tangy dry rub sit atop a fresh salad of tomatoes, cucumber, and onions.

Jalapeño Popper Skillet Tacos

Roasted poblanos, jalapeños, and red onion are coated with a melty sauce—warm with the flavors of pepper jack, and stabilized with a block of cream cheese.