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Meat, Italy

Roman pinsa with mortadella and pistachio

Roman pinsa with mortadella and pistachio is a light Italian flatbread topped with mortadella, stracciatella and crushed pistachios, serving 4. It takes 1 hour 25 minutes including rising time, has a medium difficulty level, and costs about €3.60 per person. The key is to add the toppings right after baking, so the mortadella stays soft and the stracciatella melts gently over the warm crust.

Tonight, a Roman pinsa, lighter than pizza, topped with mortadella, stracciatella and crushed pistachios.

Roman pinsa with mortadella and pistachio
Total time
1 h 25
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.60
Calories per person
800 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer

Pinsa looks like pizza but its very wet dough bakes into a much lighter, airier crumb with a thin, crisp crust. Cold mortadella laid on the hot dough keeps all its softness, the stracciatella spreads slowly on top, and crushed pistachios add a crunch that sets this apart from a regular pizza night.

This is more of a weekend project than a weeknight dinner, since the dough needs an hour to rise before shaping and baking. It works just as well for guests as for a slightly more special dinner between adults, especially in spring or summer when the lemony salad served alongside makes real sense. Mon Chou suggests it as a change from the usual pizza without making your evening complicated.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 500 g
  • Active dry yeastoften in the pantry 1
  • Lukewarm wateroften in the pantry 35 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Unsalted pistachiosoften in the pantry 50 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Butcher

  • Sliced mortadella 200 g

Dairy

  • Stracciatella or burrata 250 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Lemon 1
  • Green salad 1

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Tree nuts

The step by step recipe

  1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt, water and oil, knead and let the dough rise. 1 h

    A very wet dough gives a light, airy crumb.

  2. Shape the dough into thin, elongated ovals on an oiled baking sheet.

    Stretch it with your fingers, not a rolling pin, to keep the air in.

  3. Bake at 250°C until the edges turn golden. 10 min

    Keep the pinsa plain, the toppings come after baking.

  4. Crush the pistachios and prepare the salad with lemon and olive oil.

    Crush them with the back of a knife so they don't scatter.

  5. Top the hot pinsas with mortadella, stracciatella and pistachios.

    If you can't find stracciatella, torn burrata works very well too.

Our tips to get it right

  • Don't add too much extra flour while kneading, a dough that feels sticky at first bakes into a lighter pinsa.
  • Preheat your oven fully to 250°C before baking, the strong initial heat puffs up the dough and browns the edges quickly.
  • Take the stracciatella out of the fridge a little before topping the pinsa, it spreads more easily and blends better with the warm crust.

The variations

  • Swap the mortadella for prosciutto or shaved bresaola for a leaner topping.
  • For a vegetarian version, top the pinsa with grilled vegetables and mozzarella, crushed pistachios, and skip the mortadella.
  • To save time, use store-bought pizza dough, the topping stays the same and the result comes very close to the original.

What to serve it with

  • Lemony green salad, already part of the recipe
  • A glass of chilled white wine
  • Grilled vegetables as a starter

Storage

The plain baked crust keeps for 2 days in the fridge wrapped in a cloth or sealed container, and freezes well before topping. Reheat it in a hot oven for a few minutes before adding mortadella, stracciatella and pistachios, which should never be frozen or overheated.

Questions about this dish

Can you use regular mozzarella instead of stracciatella?

Yes, but the result will be less creamy and less runny. Torn burrata remains the best substitute if you can't find stracciatella.

Can you make the pinsa dough ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare it the night before and let it rise slowly in the fridge. Take it out an hour before shaping so it comes back to room temperature.

Why shouldn't the mortadella go in the oven?

Baked mortadella turns dry and loses its softness. Placed cold on the hot pinsa, it stays tender and warms through gently without drying out.

Can you swap the pistachios for another nut?

Slivered almonds or crushed hazelnuts also work, but they change the flavor that makes this pinsa distinctive. Pistachios remain the closest choice to the original Roman recipe.

How long does it take to make a Roman pinsa with mortadella and pistachios?

Count 1 h 25 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a Roman pinsa with mortadella and pistachios?

About 800 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Roman pinsa with mortadella and pistachios cost?

About €3.60 per serving, or €14.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, tree nuts. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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