Calzones

Here are my two favorite calzone recipes - the first one is the one I made you ;)

INGREDIENTS

	Pizza Dough recipe  (or frozen dinner rolls), divided and shaped into six balls, or 8 for smaller servings.
Diced smoked mozzarella
Sliced fresh mozzarella
Fresh ricotta
Grated parmesan
Grilled Italian sausages, roughly chopped
Sauteed sliced onions and green, red and cubanelle peppers PREPARATION FOR FILLING: INGREDIENTS 6 sweet Italian link sausage Olive oil 1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and sliced thin lengthwise 1 medium red pepper, cored, seeded and sliced thin, approx 1/4-inch thick 1 medium green pepper, cored, seeded and sliced thin, approx 1/4-inch thick 1 cubanelle pepper, cored, seeded and sliced thin, approx 1/4-inch thick 1 plump clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano Salt 4 seeded Italian rolls PREPARATION: Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the sausages in the boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Heat a large griddle, grill or sauté pan over medium-high. Swirl in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the onions, peppers and a pinch of salt. Stir well to combine and dial down the heat to med-low. Cook, occasionally turning, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5- 7 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano and another pinch of salt; continue cooking until all is softened, juicy and delicious. Some browning is fine. Push the sausages to one end of the griddle. Drizzle a little oil on that end and place the sausages there. Cook the sausages, turning, until browned and crispy and cooked through. When ready to fill dough, add cheeses.

PREPARATION FOR DOUGH:

1. Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat oven to 475° F.
2. Pat/roll/stretch dough into 8” circle. Lift round onto floured peel. Working quickly, arrange the filling of your choice down the center nearest to you, leaving a ½” border. Gently fold top of dough over, stretching as needed to meet edges of other half. Pinch edges to seal with fingers, or with the tines of a fork. Cut 2 small vents in the top.

Shake the calzone onto the pizza stone. Bake until nice and brown, 8-10 minutes. Using a peel, remove from oven. Sprinkle with parmesan, if desired and serve immediately.

Rachel Ray's calzones:

Prep Time:

15 min

Cook Time:

20 min

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 pounds raw Italian sweet sausage, casing removed
• A drizzle olive oil
• 2 cups ricotta
• A handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• A handful grated Parmigiano, plus extra, for knots
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or a couple pinches of ground
• A few grinds black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped pimento
• 2 (10-ounce) tubes prepared pizza dough
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• Garlic oil (1 or 2 cloves chopped and heated in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil)
• 2 cups tomato, marinara or pizza sauce for dipping or Five Minute Spicy Marinara, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Brown sausage in a small skillet in a drizzle of olive oil. Transfer the cooked crumbled sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Combine sausage with ricotta, parsley, garlic, Parmigiano, nutmeg, pepper, and pimento. Roll out doughs and halve cross-wise. Place a dough rectangle on a nonstick cookie sheet. Use 1/2 cup mozzarella on half of each dough rectangle and pile a mound of filling on half of the total area. Fold dough over and pinch edges to seal. The result is a rectangular turnover.
For half-moon shaped calzones, trim excess dough. Roll dough bits into strips, tie in knots and brush with garlic oil and cheese. Garlic knots are fun to dip at the table.
Bake calzones 15 minutes or until golden all over. Serve calzones with warm tomato, marinara, or pizza sauce for dipping.
Cook's Note: For an additional time saver, 2 packages precooked sausage crumbles, 8 ounces each, may be substituted for raw Italian sausage used in the above recipe.

Five Minute Spicy Marinara:

• 2 tablespoons (two turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (32 ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian dried seasoning
• 1 handful Italian parsley leaves, chopped

Add olive oil to medium saucepan over moderate heat. Add garlic and crushed pepper to the heated olive oil; when pepper snaps and garlic sizzles, stir in crushed tomatoes. Season sauce with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook for five minutes and stir in parsley. Serve.

Yield: 4 servings