Two words: Pizza. Party.
Today, I’m throwing a Pizza Party along with my fellow DaVinci Storytellers: Alana, Molly and Rebecca. A few weeks ago, I was describing the pizza-making competition that went down while in Vinci, Italy. In the spirit of that competition, we’ve all come together again to share a series of pizza recipes, utilizing the skills we learned while in Tuscany.
The pie that I’m bringing to the table is this Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza. Throughout our week in Italy, we had so many wonderful porcini mushroom dishes, and various types of goat cheese were also a staple item on the Tuscan table. With that inspiration in mind, I topped this pizza with wild mushrooms sautéed with garlic, mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, fresh rosemary, and a dusting of grated Parmesan. Finished with just the slightest drizzle of truffle oil that I purchased in San Miniato, the pizza is rich and earthy with a wonderful tang from the goat cheese. The aroma of white truffle escapes from the oil as it hits the bubbling hot cheese. Truly mouthwatering.
Below you’ll find the recipe for my Mushroom and Goat Cheese pizza along with links from the other Storytellers. I am also sharing a series of photos from my first few days in Vinci, Italy!
Would you just look at that view of Florence? So perfect! After a long flight from San Diego to Italy, this was a much welcomed stop. Later that day we arrived at the Casale di Valle, our home base for the week. Surrounded by rolling hills painted with rows of vineyards, soaring cypresses and shimmering olive trees, the Casale is a large, Tuscan hunting lodge fully equipped with a vegetable garden, chicken coop and wood-burning oven in the expansive backyard.
We were greeted at the Casale with platters of pecorino, salami, prosciutto, Tuscan bread and bruschetta along with chilled glasses of DaVinci Pinot Grigio. In the background, the sky was ablaze with reds, oranges and pinks as the sun set over the rolling hills. A perfect first taste of Tuscany.
I’m not going to get into all the details of the trip in this article. Instead, I’m going to share some of my favorite moments and valuable learnings. You may notice a lack of dinner photos each day, and that’s because I only shoot in natural light, something that’s usually missing at dinnertime. I will still describe some of my favorite dinner bites though 🙂 Like the pappa al pomodoro we enjoyed the first evening. Made with stale Tuscan bread and fresh tomatoes, this soup was finished with bright green pesto, olive oil and shaved pecorino cheese. A simple preparation made with the best ingredients.
On our first full day, we spent the morning exploring the vineyards with our guide Carolina and DaVinci Wine expert, Filippo Volpi. I was so impressed with the level of knowledge these two had. It was clear we were in good hands.
I had two main takeaways from this walk. First, to make excellent wine, you need to start with excellent grapes. The care that the DaVinci Wine team puts into their vines is clearly present in the finished product. Second, I learned that Leonardo da Vinci created a vineyard trellis system that brought the vines up off the ground to make it easier to harvest grapes. This system inspired the way the DaVinci vineyards are planted even to this day!
After the vineyard walk, we traveled a short distance to the town of Vinci where we toured the Leonardo da Vinci museum and his birthplace. You can see some spectacular views of the town below plus Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man. During our tour we learned that Leonardo da Vinci may just have been a homosexual. Who knew?!
The lunch post-Vinci was one of my favorites the entire trip. The centerpiece of the lunch was a 4.4 pound bistecca alla fiorentina. Cut from the special white Chianina cow, this massive steak is cooked over a wood and charcoal fire. It’s seared on all sides, and then cooked standing up with the T portion of the t-bone close to the fire. As the bone heats up, it cooks the inside of the steak ever so slightly. The finished bistecca has the most incredible golden, crunchy crust, and an almost-raw interior.
We enjoyed this steak along with a variety of tasty sides and glasses of Chianti Riserva and Brunello di Montalcino. These bold reds could easily stand up to the big flavor of the steak. Sides included spinach topped with pancetta breadcrumbs, raw porcini and celery salad (YUM!), chicken liver crostini, and creamy borlotti beans with steamed greens (FAV!!).
That evening we finished our day with a homemade pizza competition. I managed to get an A+ on my dough, but my salami, pepper, caper and olive stromboli lost to Molly’s grape and rosemary white pizza. I was ROBBED.
Hahaha just kidding! I mean would you look at all those toppings and tasty pizzas. We were all winners in the end 🙂 During this pizza extravaganza, we familiarized ourselves with DaVinci Chianti. The fruitiness of the wine worked well with the various pizza toppings while the round tannins helped cut the richness of the cheese. DaVinci Chianti is a medium-bodied red wine, so it was easy to enjoy all evening long. Before we get to my pizza recipe, I’m going to briefly chat about Day 2 (yes, that was all just Day 1!!).
Day 2 consisted of a grape harvest (FUN!), wine tasting, lunch with a local wine grower (and his very large family!), and a spectacular seafood dinner with DaVinci Pinot Grigio winemaker, Fabrizio Gatto.
The photos above are from the grape harvest. DaVinci’s agronomist, Andrea Meini, explained the many factors that affect the flavor of the grapes. Rain, sun, soil and wind, to name a few. We harvested the grapes the old-fashioned way (with shears); however, we got to see a modern machine in action. The grape harvester shakes the vines as it passes by, causing the grapes to drop while leaving the rest of the vine intact.
The photos below are from lunch. Cured meats along with hard and soft pecorino. A bread-forward panzanella studded with marinated vegetables. Anchovy fillets marinated in vinegar and tossed with olive oil and red onion. Schiacciata dotted with grapes from the vineyard. A traditional Tuscan lunch paired with DaVinci Pinot Grigio, Chianti and Chianti Riserva.
Now, on to the pizza recipe! I’ve paired DaVinci Pinot Grigio with this Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza, because the crisp wine complements the nuanced flavors of the pizza without overwhelming them.
Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound chanterelle mushrooms (other mushrooms besides white button would work as well)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 ball of pizza dough
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
- 2 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- Parmesan cheese, for grating
- Truffle oil, for drizzling
Instructions
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Cut the base of the stems off the chanterelles. Wipe any gritty mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Tear any large mushrooms into bite-sized pieces, and leave any smaller ones whole.
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Warm unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chanterelles and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (about 5 minutes). During the last minute, stir in minced garlic. Season mushrooms to taste with kosher salt and pepper, then set aside.
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Preheat an oven to 500°F, and set an oven rack in the lowest possible position. Lightly coat a pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray.
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Stretch pizza dough into a round large enough to fit the pizza pan. Very lightly drizzle the dough with olive oil, using your hands to evenly spread the oil around. Sprinkle dough with a small pinch of kosher salt. Top pizza evenly with grated mozzarella cheese, crumbled goat cheese, sautéed chanterelles and rosemary. Finish with a sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper, then an even dusting of Parmesan cheese.
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Transfer pizza to the oven on the lowest rack and cook until the crust is golden brown (bottom and crust) and the cheese is nice and bubbly (9 - 11 minutes). Drizzle pizza very lightly with truffle oil before serving.
As a 2015 DaVinci Storyteller, this post was written in partnership with DaVinci Wine. DaVinci Wine has provided me with this experience. All thoughts, opinions and recipes are my own.
Check out these pizza posts from the other DaVinci Storytellers:
Molly’s Cannellini and Sofrito Pizza with Pancetta and Parmesan
Alana’s New Hawaiian Pizza
Rebecca’s Figgy Pig Pizza
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Such simple and tasty looking flavours here!! YUM!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Katrina!!
Rebecca {foodie with family} says
Man, does that pizza ever look mighty fine, Brandon. I love mushrooms with goat cheese. I move we go back to Tuscany for a re-match and make each other all these gorgeous pies!!!
Brandon Matzek says
I would be so down for that!!! Thanks Rebecca 🙂
Alana says
GOSHHHHHHHHHHH. I loved this post. You totally made me want to go back. So much freakin love for all of you. And this pizza. Gold medal. But full disclosure, I’m giving out gold medals to everyone this round. 😀 😀 😀
Brandon Matzek says
Haha thanks Alana!!! Putting this article together was a wonderful trip down memory lane 🙂
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Loving this post so much!! The pizza looks great but all these pictures of Italy; the food, the grapes, the fun times, the bright blue sky, the vineyards, just gorgeous! Trip of a lifetime! Thanks for sharing your memories and your trip!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks so much Averie!!! I am so missing Italy right now 🙂
Bella B says
I love homemade pizza and this recipe looks so yummy ! I will definitely have to try!
xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Bella!!
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
I love everything about this trip… it sounds like the three of you really had a wonderful time. Favorite shot is of you holding the grapes at the harvest. That smile… that’s a happy face. 🙂
If I could live off of one pizza (after a regular tomato sauce/mozz pizza, of course), it’d be this one. i just can’t have too much goat cheese or mushrooms.
Brandon Matzek says
It was sooooo much fun. I want to go back 🙂 Thanks Brian! Yeah mushrooms go so well with goat cheese and the truffle oil just gilds the lily.
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen says
Oh my goodness this makes me want to up and leave for Tuscany like RIGHT NOW, your trip sounds incredible! Absolutely stunning photos too – the produce, food and vineyards are just so vibrant and fresh looking. And since goats cheese and mushrooms are two of my favourite ingredients at the moment, I’m sure this pizza would win any pizza competition right now for me – definitely saving for my next pizza night! 🙂
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Claudia!! The produce was so vibrant and fresh. Everywhere we went they were so focused on local ingredients, produce, meats and cheeses.
DessertForTwo says
Beautifu and, stunning! I felt like I was with you on the trip 🙂 Now, pass a slice this way, please 🙂
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Christina :)!!
Brooke @ Chocolate and Marrow says
Love this post so, so much, Brandon! The joy you had there radiates from it all–the photos, words, and definitely the pizza! All the love to the shroomy pizza party that happened this week. Wish we lived closer so we could swap slices! 😉
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Brooke!! We had SUCH a fun time. And yes, I too wish we lived closer, so I could come on your next foraging trip 🙂
Daniel says
Hi Brandon,
I was looking at your Mushroom and GoatCheese Pizza recipe and noticed you have a Finex Skillet. I’ve been wanting one for a while, but was wondering if they are worth the price. What do you think of it?
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Daniel! I really like my Finex Skillet. It’s got a really nice heft to it, and the pour spouts are very useful. Williams-Sonoma does sell them, and from time-to-time they have cookware sales. You might want to get a skillet or two during those time periods!
Amanda says
What a snazzy looking pizza! Delicious. And I just love goat cheese.
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Amanda!
Christina @ Christina's Cucina says
What a way to make a girl jealous! Oh goodness, what a trip you had! This is my dream come true! I love your pizza, in fact, it’s very similar to one I often make at home (using truffle and brie, no goat cheese). Your photos are fabulous and I just want to be there right now. Good wine and good food are the epitome of making a good travel day, a great travel day! (Btw, I thought everyone knew that about Da Vinci!) 😉
Brandon Matzek says
Christina, I love the idea of mushrooms, brie and truffle – I am trying that next time!! Perhaps with some arugula on top? Thanks :)!
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
This looks absolutely fantastic!! What a great flavour combo for a pizza! 🙂
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Annie!
Laura @ Family Spice says
I’m so excited that you were chosen to go on the DaVinci trip! YAY! What a gorgeous trip. One of my dreams is to go visit Italy, but I suppose it will have to wait until the kids go to college… or wait, until I pay for their college. YIKES! Gorgeous pizza!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Laura!! You should definitely make the trip someday. You’d love the olive oil!
Ginny McMeans says
Not only a fabulous time in Italy but exquisite wine and food while you are at it. What a fantastic trip and that wine looks great. Good idea to put the pic near the end right when I was thinking I needed a sip. Your pizza looks perfect too!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Ginny! I just love sipping some cold white wine with a hot slice of cheesy pizza. So satisfying!
Marjory @ Dinner-Mom says
Wow! What an awesome post. Love the pizza, love all the pics…I would love to visit Italy. Just sounds like an amazing experience!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Marjory!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Ahhhh, such gorgeous pictures! Tuscany is my favorite region of Italy and it’s been much too long since I was last there. You’ve got craving a return visit – soon! Love the pics of all the grapes – they are so gorgeous! And your pizza…yes, please! Chanterelles are probably my most favorite mushrooms.
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Kimberly!! I do love chanterelles as well. Porcinins are fantastic, but I have a hard time finding them. Chanterelles are more available throughout the year.
cristina says
A surreal experience traveling to Italy and touring the vineyards, good food, wine and company. One day, I’ll get there yet! Your images are beautiful, Brandon. My kinda pizza here – thin crust with an all time fav of goat cheese and earthy mushrooms. I can smell it – divine! Great post…
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Cristina! Tuscany is definitely worth a visit if you get a chance. The smell of cheese and mushrooms and garlic is just heavenly!
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
What a great time you had! I love Tuscany! Your pizza party is simple, yet elegant at the same time!
Brandon Matzek says
It was so much fun!! Thanks Cynthia.
Vicky @ Avocdo Pesto says
Love wine, love Italy, love pizza love porcini mushrooms love every bit of everything here!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Vicky! We share many of the same loves 🙂
Karista says
Brandon what a fantastic post! Not only does the pizza look so delicious I could reach in and grab a slice, but you’ve managed to transport me back to that magical place, Tuscany! The pictures are dreamy!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Karista!!!
Ian Shendale says
This pizza is so delicious… I love the blend of flavors.. You explained it perfectly and I followed your instructions to a “T”.. no deviations… If I die and go to heaven, I hope once every month they give us a break and let us make our own pizza… this would be heavenly…
Brandon Matzek says
So glad you enjoyed the pizza Ian! Thanks for sharing results.
Sig sinclaire says
This is not about your pizza recipe because I gave up. I am so tired of websites that have the floating share buttons that cover up all the text on the left-hand side. I usually just hit the back button and look for something else in my Google search because it’s just not worth it. But I decided to speak up this time because this is becoming a huge problem.
Learn where to put your floating share buttons: http://thinksem.com/blog/floating-social-media-share-bar-good-or-bad/
Brandon Matzek says
Hi Sig, thanks for the comment on user experience! Can you tell me what browser you are using? My share bar drops to the bottom of the post on mobile and on desktop when the browser window gets too narrow.