Hello, my readers! Here’s a pizza recipe that features potatoes, anchovies, capers and other unusual ingredients—and I think you’re going to like it. How did the idea for this recipe come about? A friend and I were out having a drink one night and started talking about—you guessed it—pizza! Out of the blue, he asked me, “Do you know how to make Pugliese pizza?” I replied that I had never even heard of it—and I know a lot about pizza.

Puglia is a region of southern Italy, famous for its picturesque seascapes, olive groves and cucina povera (peasant cooking). The more I learned about Pugliese cuisine, the more I wanted to try my hand at it. My friend and I headed to the store and purchased what we needed to make this pizza. The next day, we went to work and made one for everybody to try. It was a hit, so now we’re sharing it with you! Mangia!

Ingredients:

2 lb. potatoes, scrubbed
½ c. extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 garlic cloves
12 oz. tomatoes, diced
3 anchovies, chopped
2 tbsp. capers, rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil potatoes in their skins until tender. Peel and mash the potatoes through a food mill, then beat in 3 tbsp. of EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Heat another 3 tbsp. of EVOO in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and tomatoes. Cook over medium heat until the tomatoes soften and begin to dry out, about 14 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Oil a shallow baking dish and spread some mashed potatoes into the dish in an even layer. Cover with the tomatoes and dot with the chopped anchovies and capers. Spread the remaining mashed potatoes on top of the filling. Brush the top with
remaining oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden-brown. Serve hot.