Recipes Pizza with Charred Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto 5.0 (2,107) 1 Review These crisp-crusted individual pies are a much more elegant version of the pizzas at Mama Mia's in New York's Dutchess County that Shea Gallante grew up making. Here, he tops them with sweet tomatoes, aged Gouda and a little pesto. More Pizza Recipes By Shea Gallante Shea Gallante Why Because his unstoppable spirit of experimentation—and his kitchen full of cutting-edge equipment—leads him to create wonderful avant-garde dishes, like a creamy chilled mozzarella soup with basil and apricots. Born Poughkeepsie, NY; 1973. Education The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY. Experience Coco Pazzo Teatro, Felidia and Bouley, all in New York City. First big risk Opening a pizza parlor when he was only 19. "I’d been working at a pizzeria, and decided I wanted to be the boss." Most exotic item on his menu Wild yellowtail crudo. "Almost all yellowtail is farm-raised, even the fish that comes in from Japan. The wild yellowtail I get has flavor that’s off the charts. You can’t imagine how good it tastes." Most memorable experience Going to Paris to cook dinner at the George V with David Bouley. "I looked outside in the courtyard and there was Bill Clinton. With David, you’re always on the move; I was there for three days and slept six hours total." Favorite cheap meal Pork and swiss chard dumplings from Tasty Dumpling in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Advice to future cooks Don’t get wrapped up in the industry hype. "Don’t just study a trendy cuisine; when it crashes, you’re sunk." Won Best New Chef at: Cru; New York City Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 25, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Marcus Nilsson Active Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Yield: 6 Ingredients 3/4 pound cherry tomatoes 1/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 shallot, thinly sliced 5 basil leaves, torn 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper Pizza Dough 3/4 cup coarsely grated aged Gouda (3 ounces) 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Basil Pesto Directions Preheat the broiler. In a medium baking dish, toss the cherry tomatoes with the panko, garlic, shallot, basil and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil 6 inches from the heat for about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes pop and brown lightly. Preheat the oven to 500°. Set a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven and heat for at least 30 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each ball of Pizza Dough to a 7-inch round. Transfer two rounds to a lightly floured pizza peel. Spoon one-sixth of the cherry tomato topping on each round. Slide the pizzas onto the heated stone and bake for about 5 minutes, or until sizzling and just set. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of the aged Gouda and 1 tablespoon of the Parmigiano. Return the pizzas to the oven and bake for about 5 minutes longer, until the cheeses are melted and the crust is lightly browned. Drizzle with a little Basil Pesto and serve. Repeat with the remaining dough, tomato topping, cheeses and pesto. Make Ahead The cherry tomato topping can be refrigerated overnight; let return to room temperature before using. Suggested Pairing Pair cheesy pizzas with moderately tannic reds such as a Chianti Classico, or, if they aren't covered in tomato sauce—which tends to overwhelm white wines—a crisp white like a Verdicchio. Rate it Print