Home from Rome

Hello everyone! Sorry for my absence lately – since getting home from our trip to Italy, life has been busy! We had an amazing time, and besides the beautiful religious aspects of the trip, the next best part was the delicious food! (is that a surprise?) We ate plenty of pizza, pasta, and of course, gelato! I could write for weeks about all that we did, and feel free to ask me about it, but here are some photo highlights to give you a taste of what we saw and ate.

(left to right: Nutella focaccia. Sweet shop in Assisi. Cannoli. Prosciutto, mozzarella, and arugula sandwich. Latte and a Nutella croissant. Salami and mozzarella sandwich. Sausage and mushroom pizza. Bakery with HUGE meringues. Fresh focaccia bread from the brick oven.)

(left to right: St. Peter’s Basilica. The Colosseum. St. John Lateran. The Pantheon. Pope Francis! The Spanish Steps. St. Paul Outside the Walls. Trevi fountain. St. Mary Major.)

(left to right: Mezze maniche con chianti, speck e zucchini. Risotto radicchio e speck. Pasta cacio e pepe. Fregnacce con broccoli, speck e pecorino. Fusilli panna, funghi e salsiccia. Pasta carbonara. Pasta bolognese. Risotto ai funghi porcini. Gnocchi alla sorrentina.)

(left to right: In Assisi: St. Francis Basilica. St. Clare Basilica. St. Mary of the Angels. In Pisa: The leaning tower (built as the bell tower for the cathedral!) The beautiful cathedral. The baptistry outside of the cathedral. In Florence and Siena: The cathedral in Florence. The gorgeous dome in the cathedral. The cathedral in Siena.)

(left to right: Strawberry and pistachio gelato. Banana and chocolate combo. Chocolate hazelnut. Dark chocolate. Chocolate rum from San Crispino. Mint chocolate. Kit Kat gelato. Coconut and chocolate combo. Tiramisu gelato – my favorite!)

While we had a great time and would love to visit again, it’s good to be back in Texas and cooking in my own kitchen. Stay tuned for some tasty things coming your way!

Hawaiian Pulled Pork Pizza

Not to toot my own horn, (do people still say that?) but this was one of the best pizzas I’ve ever eaten. The tangy sauce, the smoky pulled pork, the sweet pineapple…simply delicious! I’ve decided that pizza is my favorite way to use leftovers. I remember several years ago, my younger brother and I made a “Thanksgiving leftover” pizza with turkey and cranberries. Sounds crazy, but it was strangely good!

Anyways, if you use the Hawaiian Pulled Pork recipe from a few days ago and have leftovers, I suggest you make this. I promise you will NOT be disappointed. And if you are, then I’ll eat the rest of your pizza.

(Also, you can use pre-made refrigerated pizza dough or make it homemade…I used my favorite easy homemade recipe that I’ll share later this week, I promise!)

Hawaiian Pulled Pork Pizza

Refrigerated pizza dough
1 cup leftover Hawaiian sauce (more or less, depending on preference)
1/2 can pineapple tidbits
1 cup leftover Hawaiian pulled pork
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly oil a pizza pan (if needed). Roll or stretch dough to fit the pan. Evenly coat the dough with the Hawaiian sauce, leaving a 1 inch border from the edge of the dough. Top with cheese, pulled pork, and pineapple. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the crust turns golden brown. Let it cool for a few minutes. Slice and serve.

Source: Adapted from The Food Network