BREAD PIZZA STUFFED WITH MEAT AND MUSHROOMS

Bread Pizza Stuffed with Meat and Mushrooms image

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 18- to 24-inch loaf Italian semolina bread (day-old is fine)
3 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
4 medium portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced
2 slices pancetta or bacon, chopped
2 pounds ground beef
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated or finely chopped
Coarse black pepper and coarse salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/3 palmful
1/2 cup red wine, a couple of glugs
1/2 cup beef stock
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 handful grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
1 cup fresh basil, 20 leaves, shredded or torn

Steps:

Heat the oven to 350°F. Split the bread lengthwise, then cut it in half again and hollow out some of the soft insides of the bread. Lightly crisp the bread in the oven, 10 minutes. Remove the bread and switch the broiler on.
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, twice around the pan, and the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until dark and tender, 7 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently.
Heat a second medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining tablespoon of EVOO. When the EVOO smokes, add the pancetta or bacon and render the fat for a minute or so, then add the ground beef and break it up into an even layer. Deeply brown and caramelize the meat, 5 minutes. Add the onions and carrots and season with lots of coarse pepper, some salt, the Worcestershire, and the ground allspice, then cook for 10 minutes more, stirring frequently. Add the wine and scrape up all the brown bits. Add the stock to loosen up the mixture a little, then add the tomatoes and parsley and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Season the cooked mushrooms with salt and pepper. Fill the toasted breads with equal amounts of mushrooms, then top them with equal amounts of the meat sauce. Cover the meat sauce with a layer of mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmigiano or Romano cheese. Broil the pizzas to melt the cheese. Shred or tear the basil and top each pizza liberally with it, then serve (with a fork and knife).