A dinner table spread with Avaline Red wine, margherita pizza, orange tomatoes, salad, and candles.

Learn How to Make the *Perfect* Pizza à la Avaline

La Morra’s Perfect Pie

La Morra’s expression of the widely loved and classic Margherita is topped with locally produced mozzarella di bufala, a bright yet subtle crushed tomato sauce, cooked basil, as opposed to fresh, and always finished with olive oil. There are several other things that make this pizza unique to La Morra, from Chef Zach Swemle’s delicate toss of basil, ensuring each leaf is never intentionally placed to the always highest quality extra virgin olive oil last step. Follow along below to create your own inspired version, at home.


Margherita pizza, orange tomatoes and Avaline Red wine on a table.
Margherita pizza, orange tomatoes and Avaline Red wine on a table.

MARGHERITA

La Morra’s expression of the widely loved and classic Margherita is topped with mozzarella di bufala, made in Los Angeles by a prized local vendor, a bright yet subtle crushed tomato sauce, cooked basil, as opposed to fresh, and always finished with olive oil. There are several other things that make this pizza unique to La Morra, from Chef Zach Swemle’s delicate toss of basil, ensuring each leaf is never intentionally placed to the always highest quality extra virgin olive oil last step. Follow along below to create your own inspired version, at home.

What You’ll Need:

Let‘s Cook

For a step by step tutorial, feel free to grab a glass of Avaline and join our Zoom.

1. Preheat oven and pizza stone or inverted baking sheet to 475 degrees

2. Flour both sides of the dough generously

3. Delicately press out and stretch the pizza dough to 10-12 inches round, leaving about 1/2 inch crust around the circumference

4. Top to your liking

5. Bake for 9 minutes at 475 on the middle rack of your oven

6. Pour another glass of Avaline Red wine while you wait

7. Pause, brush crust with olive oil if you wish

8. Broil for 1.5-3 minutes to desired cook (don't be afraid to get a little bit of color here)

9. Slice and enjoy, share a photo with us, we'd love to see your work





Margherita pizza and a bottle of Avaline Red wine on a table.
Margherita pizza and a bottle of Avaline Red wine on a table.

LA MORRA PISSALADIERE ‘THE AVALINE’

In taking a note from the French terroir on the wine, La Morra created an iteration of a classic french flatbread, the pissaladiere. Traditionally, the flatbread is topped with caramelized onions cooked in olive oil, black nicoise olives, anchovy, thyme (occasionally rosemary, savory, and oregano), sometimes with a gruyere or goat cheese. To give an Avaline x La Morra edge, suitable for the home oven and any taste, we subbed anchovy for potato, and added a punchier cheese to replace the umami of the anchovy. 


What you’ll need:

For the potatoes—


Ok, so confit-ing anything is a process, but we promise you, these are oh, so worth it! We like using baby yukon potatoes, because they soak up all the flavor and tenderize in the most delicate way. 

This recipe only “needs” one potato, but we highly encourage making these ahead of time, and enjoying them with dinners, lunches, breakfasts and snacks (if they last that long!), so make extra!


Step by step:

Set your oven to 225F. Wash and dry your potatoes, slice thin and place in a deep ceramic dish. The goal here is to have the potatoes layered with plenty of olive oil between each layer. Add the garlic cloves, herbs, and a pinch of salt and cover with olive oil. You want the olive oil to cover the potatoes. Cook at 225 for about 20-30 minutes until potatoes are tender. 

Reserve the garlic, herby oil for future bred dippings, salad dressings, and veggie roastings. Yum!


What you’ll need:

For the onions— 


There are very few things in life that are better than rich, caramelized onion. We have been known to keep jars around to add to eggy toasts, tomato sandwiches or eaten on crackers or by the spoonful. The best thing about caramelized onions is that they are incredibly easy to make, and they add such a beautiful complexity to any dish! The trick is to let the rest in the pan long enough to brown.


Thinly slice the onions and set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil until it begins to shimmer. Add the onion, and toss in oil until evenly coated. Reduce heat to low and then leave the onions alone. After about 5-10 minutes, give the onions a stir and a pinch of salt and let continue to cook for about 30 more minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. If the onions are starting to stick, add a little splash of water to the pot. You’ll want the onions to brown gradually, releasing their sugars without burning.


What you’ll need:

Let‘s Cook

For a step by step tutorial, feel free to grab a glass of Avaline and join our Zoom.

1. Preheat oven and pizza stone or inverted baking sheet to 475 degrees

2. Flour both sides of the dough generously

3. Delicately press out and stretch the pizza dough to 10-12 inches round, leaving about 1/2 inch crust around the circumference

4. Top to your liking

5. Bake for 9 minutes at 475 on the middle rack of your oven

6. Pour another glass of Avaline Red wine while you wait

7. Pause, brush crust with olive oil if you wish

8. Broil for 1.5-3 minutes to desired cook (don't be afraid to get a little bit of color here)

9. Slice and enjoy, share a photo with us, we'd love to see your work





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3 Comments

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  • Michel Vaillancourt

    Excellent Pizza ! Too specialy with your wine.

    Bonjour!
    I am a Family Butler/house manager an know about wine.
    Your wine is fresh and have a delicious flavor.
    Regards,
    Michel

    09/15/21
  • Darci

    Whoa! The Avaline pizza recipe sounds amazing! Now my plans are set for this weekend – buy Avaline wine and make this.

    03/09/21
  • Sandra C Myers

    Nice recipes. Glad you had a baby Cameron and are doing what you love. Xo

    09/03/21