pizza of the week: mushroom & chorizo

Mmm... savory, Madeira-spiked mushrooms and spicy, crimson chorizo. Add in some aromatic, meaty rosemary and thin slivers of red onion, and I'm a happy pizza lover. It's a pretty simple combo, but so delicious on a rainy, cold February night.

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Mushroom & Chorizo Pizza

Do ahead: Clean and slice 3 or 4 mushrooms (I used Crimini) and sautée in a little butter and/or olive oil. Season with a pinch of sea salt. (Use a large enough pan so you don't crowd the 'shrooms -- you want to get some good color and flavor on them, not let them get watery and steam.) When nicely colored, add a splash of Madeira (or Sherry). Cook until the liquid is absorbed, then set the mushrooms aside.

To make pizza, start with basic pizza recipe. Roll out your dough and spread a thin layer of tomato sauce*. Sprinkle dough with a handful each of grated mozzarella and gruyere (or other "melty" cheese of your choice). Place cooked mushrooms on pizza and top with a small handful of diced Spanish chorizo, some slices of red onion, and some rosemary needles. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, to taste. Lightly salt the crust and cook according to basic recipe.

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*Super basic, easy tomato sauce for pizza: In a shallow pan, heat a small glug of olive oil, sautée a couple of cloves of sliced garlic. Tip in a can of whole roma tomatoes, along with their juice. Bring heat to high and cook vigorously, breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Allow to thicken slightly and season with sea salt and black pepper. Buzz with an immersion blender until smooth (or the texture of your choice).

When in season, throw in some basil during the cooking phase. Red pepper flakes are great, too. Extra sauce can be frozen in pizza portions for easy access.