VIEW SLIDESHOW: Top This: The Lombarda (à la Osteria)
[Photographs: Suzanne Delaney]
First things first, Osteria is hardly a pizzeria. Modeling itself on the Italian osteria concept, this Philadelphia restaurant serves pastas, grilled meats, gorgeous salumi and antipasti, and a handful of really quality pizzas.
The Lombarda has been on the menu at Osteria since day one. And thinking back to 2007, it was a time when topping a pizza with an oozy, baked egg was pretty revolutionary. Taking a the time that Chefs Marc Vetri and Jeff Michaud spent cooking in the Lombardia region of Italy this pie is topped with two regional specialties, house made cotechino sausage spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and nutty Bitto cheese, along with fresh fresh mozzarella made by DiBruno Bothers, and a swipe of tomato sauce. Oh, and then there's that egg.
About halfway through the pizza's time in the oven, it's yanked out and topped with an egg that cooks to that perfect moment of set white-runny yolk. Finished with a scattering of finely chopped rosemary, parsley, and thyme, there's something about this pizza that just screams breakfast. And that something probably has to do with the genius combo of egg and sausage and pizza. Who doesn't want all three of those guys for breakfast?
What You'll Need:
- 1 portion of dough
- Simple tomato sauce (like this one)
- Fresh mozzarella
- Bitto cheese**
- Cotechino sausage*
- 1 egg
- Finely chopped rosemary, parsley, and thyme
*Better Italian markets should carry it.
** If you can't find bitto, Italian fontina makes a fine substitute.
Osteria
640 North Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19130
215-763-0920; osteriaphilly.com