Ring of Flavor - Italian Style

Recipe courtesy of Jo Davison

Serves 6

Non-Stick Spray

1 tbs. EVOO

1 tbs. butter

1/2 medium onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 8oz. pkg. sliced portobello mushrooms

Pinch of red pepper flake

Kosher salt

2 tbs. tomato paste

1 12oz. pkg. al fresca Chicken Sausage, Sweet Italian Style (pre-cooked), sliced

3/4 cup red wine

1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

2 tbs. corn meal

3 (8 oz.) packages of refrigerated crescent rolls, garlic flavored

4 oz. sliced pepperoni

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 (3.25 oz.) can of black olives, sliced

1 egg 

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese as a topping

Pre-heat oven to 375.  In a large saucepan add EVOO and butter on a med-high heat.  Add onions and mushrooms and cook for approximately 2 minutes.  Add garlic, salt to taste,  pinch on Red pepper flake and tomatoes paste, combine toughly, cook for another 3 minutes or so, just enough to soften the onions and mushrooms, but not cook thru.  Add the sausage, combine thoroughly.  Add wine and allow to simmer until wine is reduced my half, approx. 5 minutes.  Add diced tomatoes and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, dropping temperature to low.

In-between simmer times prepare your pizza pan by spraying with non-stick spray and sprinkling corn meal over surface. Starting with the first pack of crescent rolls, unroll and  arrange them in a circle on a pizza pan, slightly overlapping each other, wide ends pointing towards the inside of the pan.  2nd pack same as above, but place in-between the others to create a large surface for placing the toppings. 3rd pack, same as above but now placed in the opposite direction so wide ends are pointing out.

Add pepperoni to the bottom spreading evenly over dough in a continuous circle. Then with a slotted spoon add sausage and mushroom filling over pepperoni.  Add cheese and olives.  Bring ends of the dough  up over filling and tuck under dough at center to form a ring.  Create an egg wash and brush over top,  grate Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over top and, bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Let set for 5 minutes before serving.