Luciano Pignataro's pizza of the week pairs a Northern Italian-inspired topping with Neapolitan technique: the Piemontese, served at Pizzardi Artigianale in Bogota, Colombia, alongside Coppo's Barbera d'Asti DOCG "L'Avvocata."
The concept is a meeting of North and South. The base is a Neapolitan dough, while the topping looks to Piedmont and Northern Italy for its flavors.
The dough is made with flour, water, salt and yeast, portioned at approximately 270 grams, with about 24 hours of fermentation and maturation.
The topping combines fiordilatte with Taleggio, Italian pancetta and oven-caramelized Uvalina tomatoes. Once out of the oven, the pizza is finished with freshly ground black pepper and fresh basil.
For the pairing, the recommendation is "L'Avvocata" from Coppo, the historic winery in Canelli, in the Asti area of Piedmont. The wine's red-fruit character and freshness are presented as a counterpoint to the richness of Taleggio and pancetta.
In short: Neapolitan dough, Northern Italian topping, and a Barbera d'Asti chosen to keep the whole slice balanced.
