Clams Casino Pizza | How Sweet It Is

Clams Casino Pizza.

June 27, 2011

I know where your head is at.

Clams… they have shells… they swim in the sea… err.. or, lay in the sand… they can be slimy and fishy and well… weird.

I get you. I totally get you.

Which is why I made you this pizza.

We’ve already established that I have tons of favorite things. I mean… tons. If you even think I’m exaggerating just take a peek at the archives and you’ll inevitably pull out a “favorite” every four recipes or so. Approximately.

Which is why I made you this pizza.

Because that clams casino linguine is easily one of my favorite dishes in this giant universe of pasta and seafood stuff. And it’s one of yours too. At least that’s what you tell me.

So… I made you this pizza!

Oh. I also ate clams casino pizza at the beach last week. Well, not at the beach as in, I’m sitting on the beach and eating clams casino pizza. No… that just wouldn’t mesh. Sun, sweat, bikinis, pizza, sand… not a great combo. Unless you like to eat sand pizza in your bikini. If you do… you’re weird. And I like you.

But I ate clams casino pizza at a restaurant at the beach. And it was nothing short of… tremendous. I could sit here and tell you how fabulous it was with it’s gooey cheese and caramelized onions and crispy crust and blah blah blah, but I think you should just make it for yourself. Right?

Right?!?!

Plus, it has bacon. If that doesn’t make this the favorite pizza of every person in the universe then I don’t know what will.

P.S. Don’t be skeeved out by the clams in a can. We already had this discussion back in February. Why don’t you remember? DON’T YOU EVER LISTEN TO ME?? ::loud sigh::

Ah. Mistook you for my husband there. Apologies. If you live somewhere close to the shoreline, 1. I’m jealous and 2. you could totally use fresh clams. I think.

Clams Casino Pizza

makes 1 pizza

dough:

1 cup whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 packet of active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup warm water

In a large bowl, add warm water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Stir and let sit until yeast gets foamy, about 15 minutes or so. Once yeast is foamy, add 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup wheat flour and salt to the bowl. Mix well until a ball forms, then continue to mix with your hands until a ball forms. If dough is too sticky, add remaining flour. If too dry, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. Flour your counter and knead dough 20-30 times with your hands. (I also have used an electric mixer to make this dough.) Lightly oil the same bowl, add the dough back in, cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2-2 hours. Once dough is ready, flour your counter again and use a rolling pin (or a bottle of wine!) to roll dough in to a circle, or shape of your choice.

for pizza:

1 tablespoons olive oil

4 slices of thick-cut bacon

1 small red onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)

1 small red pepper, chopped (about 3/4 cup)

1 small green pepper, chopped (about 3/4 cup)

4 garlic cloves, minced

4-5 glugs of tabasco/hot sauce

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

2 cans of minced clams, DRAINED

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Chop the 4 raw slices of bacon and add to the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes (no longer), just so a bit of fat is rendered. You do not want the bacon to be crispy at this point. Remove it with a slotted spoon and set it aside in a bowl, then turn heat down to medium. Add in onions and peppers with a sprinkle of salt, and stir. Cook for 5 minutes, continuously stirring. Add in garlic and cook for 3 more minutes. Completely drain clams, then add them to the peppers and onions along with half of the bacon. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add a few shakes of hot sauce.

Brush olive oil over pizza dough evenly and sprinkle with italian seasoning. Sprinkle dough with 4 ounces of mozzarella. Spoon clam/pepper/onion mixture evenly over pizza, then top with remaining mozzarella, parmesan, and the rest of the bacon. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

If you can’t help but be reallllly creeped out by the clams, I surmise this would be fantastic with shrimp, chicken or… just the plain vegetables. If you like that sort of thing.