Before I became a blogger and started photographing my food to share on the internet…before I learned the beauty and difference of farm-to-table…before I developed my FOODalogue style…before I realized ‘every’ finished dish is not really finished until it is taken to the next level…before I became a ‘somewhat’ thoughtful cook…
Before all that, and a long time ago in a galaxy far away called Staten Island, NY, I used to make a delicious rolled pizza. The recipe actually came from my friend Liz’s family. It was fairly simple and didn’t need many ingredients. You started with rolled out pizza dough, added drained crushed tomatoes from a can, drained pimentoes from a jar, and packaged mozzarella from the dairy section of the supermarket.
Everyone loved it. We served it at parties. We’d make it for dinner with a tossed salad. And we’d eat it while drinking wine and playing cards till the wee hours.
But it was all so ‘black and white’ (figuratively).
But I’m a certified foodie and a blogger now. I love getting up close and personal with fresh ingredients. I’m constantly reinventing myself and I’m constantly reinventing the food I eat. So, then, here’s the 2010 version of Rolled Pizza. That was then, this is now.
Jarred pimentos were replaced by 3 fresh red peppers.
1 pint of grape tomatoes and fresh basil replaced canned tomatoes.
Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, some kosher salt and black pepper and roast in the oven along with a couple of cloves of garlic. When removed and cooled, squish them by hand and place in a colander to drain. 
Roll out 1 lb. of pizza dough and spread the roasted garlic on the interior surface. Layer about 1/2 lb. of fresh mozzarella, the drained tomatoes and peppers and fresh basil.
Roll the pizza and brush outside with an egg wash made of 1 yolk, a drop of water and a drizzle of honey. Sprinkle with coarse salt. I used a porcini-flavored salt. Bake in oven for about 45 minutes. Sometimes it might pop a hole but that’s not a terribly bad thing...if you know what I mean. Yum!
Remove from oven and let sit for a while before cutting and serving. 
Besides the fresh ingredients, the 2010 version includes brushing the pizza dough with roasted garlic, adding honey to the egg wash and the porcini salt. I was going to use truffle salt but it was too fine and I wanted something coarse.
Two great factors about Rolled Pizza: (1) It can be served room temperature and (2) because you hit the crust first, it doesn’t burn the roof of your mouth. Now, who among us hasn’t had that happen?!
Note: This post was scheduled to be my entry in the 5th challenge of Project Food Blog 2010 which called for entrants to put their spin on pizza. While I am no longer an official contestant, I hope you enjoy it anyway. I did!
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Rolled pizza??? I’m totally in love with this…how delicious and creative! Almost like a long calzone? There are many ideas running through my head to re create this Joan…thank you so much for sharing!
Pizza Streudel perhaps? I kid…rolled pizza sounds yum!
Bring on the rolled pizza! Much cooler than the calzone…isn’t the ferry a fun and free way to see the skyline?
I definitely enjoyed it…wish I could actually have a big slice. YUM!
I too have modernized it with fresh ingredients, but it sure brings back childhood memories. And also great memories of late night card games and good friends.
I’ve always called this stromboli; but, whatever you call it, it is delicious. Your roasted tomatoes and peppers would be so sweet and juicy!
It was introduced to me years ago as ‘rolled pizza’. If meat like salami or sausage were included I think I, too, would call it stromboli.
This looks fantastic! Best wishes and looking forward to meeting you at the Festival!
Reminds me of the pizza rolls I would get as a kid but with much better ingredients. thanks for the updated recipe!
Now you’ve gone and awakened my inner hunger monster- THAT LOOKS GOOD. Vote headed your way. (and btw, you should consider submitting that awesome family shot on the right of your webpage to our foodninja contest- it’s epic.
Rolled pizza is the new canape! I am drooling like a mad women.
What great pictures. I make variation of this because of you.
Glad you are back!
I love the idea of rolled pizza, which is my version of stromboli. Mine would burst at the seams with all those delicious fresh ingredients as well Joan.
YOU ROCK, Joan! Such creative ideas! Your pizza looks deadly and I love the comments you are getting. YOu have excited the crowd on this one. You are always one to turn things on its head. I love that. What happened to the FB challenge? You were knocking them out of the park!
Would you comment on my turkey stuffing post. I know, I am begging… but I am collecting information about how others do theirs – and I would like to hear about your version.
Juana,
How many versions of the rolled, in my case braided pizza did we have in the day?
This is a much healthier version is just a perfect appetizer to do ahead !
This is so beautiful! I have never had nor heard of this before. Thanks for the intro. GREG
Yes! I like that I won’t burn my tongue on these because that happens to me nearly every single time I eat pizza. And I eat pizza a lot. These pizza rolls look divine, especially paired with that summery stuffing – yum!
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