Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde Pizza with Goat Cheese + Bacon

Recipe by: David Debaura (Cold Proof Pizza)

Salsa recipe adapted from: Chef Rick Bayless

Sauce (Roasted Tomatillo Salsa)

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups salsa (you’ll use ~1/2–3/4 cup for one pizza)

Ingredients

• 12 ounces (6–8) medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 3 or 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• Fresh hot green chiles (start with a large serrano or small jalapeño, but feel free to use any fresh chile), stemmed
• Fresh cilantro (start with 6 or 8 sprigs)
• 1/2 medium white onion
• Salt

Instructions

1. Roast ingredients: Though most people in Mexico roast ingredients for this salsa on a comal (griddle), I find it easiest to roast them under a broiler. Spread the tomatillos, unpeeled garlic and chiles on a rimmed baking sheet and roast about 4 inches below a hot broiler (my toaster oven is perfect for this) until the tomatillos and chiles are blotchy brown on one side, about 6 minutes, then turn everything over and roast the other side. The garlic should feel soft.
2. Cool and blend: Cool until handleable, slip the peels off the garlic, then scrape everything (including any juices) into a blender or food processor and pulse until you have pureed it to your liking—I like the salsa best when it’s smoothish, but still has some texture.
3. Finish and season: Gather the cilantro into a tight bundle and thinly slice across it (leaves and stems) until you run out of leaves. Chop the onion into about ¼-inch pieces. For the freshest flavor, rinse in a strainer under cold water to get rid of that unpleasant “oniony” flavor. Shake off excess water and add to the salsa along with the cilantro. If the salsa is too thick to spoon easily, stir in water a tablespoon at a time until the salsa seems right to you. Taste and season with salt, usually a scant teaspoon. Because most ingredients are roasted, it’s harder to add more of one or the other of them to the finished salsa—except, of course, for cilantro and onion.

Pizza (Goat Cheese + Bacon)

Additional Ingredients (Per 1 pizza)

• 1 ball pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
• 1/2–3/4 cup roasted tomatillo salsa (from recipe above)
• 4–6 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• 4–6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, then chopped (or use pancetta)
• 1–2 cups low-moisture mozzarella (optional but recommended for melt/“pizza pull”)
• Olive oil (for brushing crust)

Optional finishing

• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Sliced scallions
• Jalapeño slices
• Red pepper flakes
• Lime wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat oven: Heat oven to 500°F (or as hot as it goes) for at least 30 minutes. If you have a pizza stone/steel, preheat it too.
2. Cook the bacon: Cook bacon until crisp. Drain and chop.
3. Stretch the dough: On a floured surface, stretch dough to 12–14". Transfer to a pizza peel (with flour/semolina) or to a parchment-lined sheet pan. Lightly brush the outer crust with olive oil.
4. Sauce: Spoon on a thin, even layer of the roasted tomatillo salsa (don’t over-sauce—lighter is better to prevent sogginess).
5. Cheese + bacon: Sprinkle mozzarella (if using). Add crumbled goat cheese across the top. Finish with chopped bacon.
6. Bake: Bake 8–12 minutes (depending on oven and whether you’re using a stone/steel vs. sheet pan) until crust is deeply golden and cheese is bubbling.
7. Finish + serve: Top with fresh cilantro (optional), a pinch of red pepper flakes, and/or a squeeze of lime right before slicing.
8. Pair with: Pour a glass of J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon alongside—its dark fruit and spice play especially well with the smoky bacon and tangy goat cheese.