Pinsa Romana with Sprouting Broccoli, Ricotta and Olives
This vibrant Pinsa Romana recipe combines the light, airy texture of authentic Roman pinsa with seasonal flavours that sing. Topped with tender purple sprouting broccoli, creamy ricotta, olives, fiery Calabrian peperoncini and a generous grating of Grana Padano, it’s a delicious twist on a classic Italian flatbread that’s perfect for sharing.
Leafy green vegetables are fantastic on pinsa - the Italians love a green vegetable called 'Friarielli', sometimes called "Cime di Rapa", it's quite hard to find here in the UK so I've used purple sprouting broccoli instead.
Instead of a tomato base, I've used creamy ricotta, which I've spiked with lemon zest and garlic and then topped with the cooked sprouting broccoli, some salty olives and a liberal helping of some Calabrian spicy peperoncini to give it a lovely kick.
Servings 3 | Cook Time: 15 mins | Prep Time: 10 mins
Ingredients
2 x Pinsa Romana bases, defrosted (takes around 1 hour)
300g purple sprouting broccoli
250g ricotta - sheep's milk or cows milk
1 x clove of garlic, finely grated
Zest from 1 lemon
½ teaspoon Calabrian dry oregano
2 x tablespoons pitted olives
2 x tablespoons of Calabrian peperoncini peppers
A good grating of Grana Padano
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & Pepper
A drizzle of Hot Honey (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to it's maximum temperature, at least 250°C and place a pizza stone or baking tray inside the oven to heat up as well.
2. If any of the broccoli stalks are particularly chunky, you may have to snip these off and slice them through the middle before you start cooking. Heat a large frying pan with a few drizzles on oil and fry the broccoli for a couple of minutes, adding a pinch of salt. Then add in a few splashes of water that will create enough steam to cook the broccoli to just tender. Test by chopping off one of the ends and tasting, you may have to add a little bit more water. Once it's cooked, turn off the heat and set to one side.
3. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the zest of the lemon, a little lemon juice, the dried oregano, grated garlic and a generous grated of Grana Padano.
4. Generously spread a layer of the ricotta mixture over one of the pinsa Romana bases. Arrange some of the broccoli over the top, scatter over some olives, spoon little piles of peperoncini evenly around the base and add a few more dollops of ricotta. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over everything, season with a couple more pinches of salt and a good grating of Grana Padano.
5. Place in your preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until the edges develop a golden brown colour. Remove from the oven, slice into manageable pieces and dive in!
Cooking Tips
Heat is the key to success when cooking pinsa at home (or for that matter pizza). These will cook really well in a standard domestic oven but there are a few details for maximum success.
- Ensure you defrost the pinsa first (generally takes around 1 hour)
- Pre-heat your oven to it's maximum temperature (mine will go to 280°C).
- Place a baking stone or even a solid metal try in the oven to pre-heat - you want the base of the pinsa to hit something hot to get that beautiful crisp base.
- Pinsa loves olive oil, so a nice drizzle of oil over your toppings just before it goes in the oven helps develop the flavour and crisp everything up.
- A generous grating of Grana Padano, Parmesan or Pecorino cheese over the whole pinsa before you place in the oven will create a lovely umami flavour to your finished pinsa.
Serving Suggestions
We have become slightly addicted to drizzling hot honey over our Pinsa Romana once they come out the oven.
It's also nice to serve with a fresh green salad
Variations and Substitutions
The sky is the limit when it comes to being creative with your Pinsa Romana toppings.
Want to learn more about what makes pinsa so unique?
Read our guide:
What is Authentic Pinsa Romana and how is it different from traditional pizza?
Checkout our Pizza Bases & Toppings Collection:
