A rustic, easy to make – deliciously flaky, and cheesy but very light pizza with shiitake mushrooms and walnuts easy to make.
Am I missing anything here to make this an excellent dinner? A glass of wine perhaps… or just sharing it with someone special.
No traditional crust here. Phyllo dough. A masterpiece.
And in case you are wondering… the answer is NO. I do not make my phyllo dough. Making this dough takes time and skill, requiring progressive rolling and stretching to a single thin, large sheet. It also takes a big table and a long roller, and continual flouring between layers to prevent tearing. Whew. I love to bake and cook. But I leave this to those with much more patience than I have.
Have you ever baked with phyllo dough? It is a dough made with flour, water, and a small amount of oil or white vinegar, and sometimes egg yolks for dessert recipes. It is like a lot of other dough – it is just made differently with lots of heart – into a work of art.
When I was younger and living in Turkey, I only attempted to make phyllo/filo dough once. I so much enjoyed just going to the market to watch the women of the village make it. And then, I would always, always take some home with me to make Borëk – a savory phyllo pie.
The freshly made phyllo was soooo good. It was what I came to love in so many Turkish recipes. It is what I like to use to change things up.
Like this excellent pizza – rustic phyllo mushroom and walnut pizza. It is golden brown, crunchy, buttery full of cheese and chili oil and topped with shiitake mushrooms, toasted walnuts, more spicy chili oil, and fresh parsley and cheeses.
It is still winter here in Colorado. It is almost always sunny – but more snow than usual can be somewhat cumbersome. My daydreams are including thoughts of Spring – rain instead of snow and what to plant this year in my garden. I see rows and rows of flower and vegetable seeds when out shopping, and I am starting to think of fresh vegetables from the garden and the farmers market. Spring just cannot come soon enough.
And then there are fresh exotic mushrooms. Lately, I have been thinking of and craving all sorts of different varieties of fresh wild mushrooms. I am looking forward to my farmers market.
BUT… one of my favorites – Shiitake were there in front of me of this week while shopping at the market, and I knew they would make a flavorful addition to any meal.
I was right! When I was looking for something I could pull together in a hurry, but with that rustic, smoky flavor I was craving, I pulled out the shiitake mushrooms to make a pizza!
Not just any pizza – but a wonderfully simple pizza. A rustic phyllo mushroom and walnut pizza!
Easy cooking is my way of life for a while. I have had more surgeries on my back, and I need easy. It is good to be back in the kitchen – but standing for long periods is still uncomfortable.
Easy is good, right? Doctors orders…
If you make this pizza, please leave a comment and give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you and will respond to comments! And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Leave any comments! I would love to hear about YOUR favorite pizza!
Enjoy! Teri~
- 1 - 8 0z. roll athens phyllo dough (2 to a package)
- 2 tbsp butter/ghee
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms - rinsed and drained
- 1 cup walnuts - coarsely chopped
- Two cloves minced garlic
- spritz butter or melted butter (1/2 cup)
- ¼ cup spicy chili oil
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 oz shredded parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley/cilantro
- Bring phyllo dough to room temperature.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and cover with a slightly damp towel to keep from drying out.
- In a medium-size skillet, over medium heat add the butter and olive oil and cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes.
- Add the walnuts and garlic and cook for 3 minutes more.
- Set aside.
- Spray a rectangular cookie pan with spritz butter or cooking spray.
- Add one layer of the phyllo dough and add butter (use a brush if using melted butter) on top, starting from the center and working your way out to the edges.
- Sprinkle with a little of the cheese.
- Repeat with a layer of phyllo, butter, and cheese until you reach the top layer.
- Spread the spicy chili oil on the top layer, the mushroom and walnut mixture and add the remaining cheese.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cover with foil and return to oven for an additional 8-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and phyllo is golden on the bottom.
- Slice into squares and garnish with parsley or cilantro.
- Slice and enjoy!