Rosie's Lasagna Bread Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella
• 1 large baguette or French or Italian bread, quartered
• 2 tablespoons – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 round tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups tomato passata or tomato purée
• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• A few leaves basil, torn

Preparation

Drain mozzarella on a paper towel then thinly slice into half moons.

Heat oven to 375ºF. Lightly toast bread on 2 baking sheets in the upper and lower third of the oven.

Heat a skillet or medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Add extra virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, and meat. Brown and crumble the meat then add onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomato paste, passata or purée, milk, thyme and oregano. Simmer 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine parsley, ricotta, Parm, egg yolk, salt and pepper. Spread an even layer of ricotta over the 4 pieces of bread, top with sauce then a layer of fresh mozzarella. Bake pizzas until brown and bubbly on top, 17-18 minutes, garnish with torn basil and serve with a green salad alongside.