At Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, they say, “just one slice” always turns into four. Founded by Pepe himself all the way back in 1925, it’s a national pizza icon, serving up gorgeously charred coal-fired pies on Wooster Square in New Haven, Connecticut.
But the brand keeps spreading beyond Connecticut’s borders; you can now order one of Pepe’s famous New Haven-style creations—like the White Clam Pizza or the Fresh Tomato Pie—in cities in New York, Massachusetts, Virginia and Florida.
In fact, this recipe, posted here with permission, comes from Ben Hicks and Frank Perez, chefs at the Frank Pepe location in Plantation, Florida. The Roasted Red Pepper Pizza is, like so many Pepe pies, the very soul of simplicity yet loaded with flavor!
Related: How Frank Pepe’s makes headlines every summer with one unique pizza
Ingredients:
3 red peppers
1 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. salt
4 garlic whole cloves
8 oz. tomato sauce
8 oz. mozzarella
1 oz. grated Pecorino Romano
1 oz. oil (for drizzle)
Pizza dough
Directions:
De-stem and remove piths from red peppers; quarter, and slice. Mix red peppers with salt, whole garlic cloves and oil and roast in oven until pepper edges are charred, about 20-25 minutes. Stir once during baking to encourage even charring.
Stretch pizza dough to 16”. Decorate the pizza first with sauce, then mozzarella, then peppers. Finish with Pecorino Romano and oil. Bake at 450°F until crisp and golden brown.
Note: Unless you’re working with a coal-fired oven, you will not see the characteristic New Haven-style char on your pizza.
