Mary Ann Giannone And Paulie Gee’s Four-Cheese Pizza Recipe

Pizza night just got an upgrade.

Husband and wife duo Paulie Gee and Mary Ann Giannone at the helm of Brooklyn’s beloved pizza joint Paulie Gee’s share a white pie perfect for any weeknight.

“The fresh mozzarella is mild, the gorgonzola is tangy, the Parmigiano-Reggiano is sharp and the pecorino Romano is extra sharp,” says Gee, who wrote the Pizza From the Heart cookbook with Giannone. “Everyone loves cheese pizza!”

She says: “When my kids were young and involved with lots of activities, I would use store-bought crust as a shortcut—and it worked. This recipe is easy to make, especially if you don’t have time to make your own dough.”

Crisp up leftover pizza on the stove. Place slices in a dry skillet over medium heat. Add a few drops of water and cover until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. “If I don’t think we would use leftovers within a day or two, I freeze and then reheat it in the oven for an after school snack or a quick dinner,” suggests Giannone.

Mary Ann Giannone and Paulie Gee’s Four-Cheese Pizza

Semolina flour or cornmeal

1 lb. fresh pizza dough, halved, at room temperature

6 oz. low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1½ cups)

1 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely shredded (about ½ cup)

1 oz. pecorino Romano cheese, finely shredded (about ½ cup)

2 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup)

1. Place a pizza stone, pizza steel or overturned baking sheet on bottom rack of oven. Preheat oven to 550º or as high as it will go for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile sprinkle a pizza peel or another overturned baking sheet with flour or cornmeal. Place half of dough on peel; stretch to a 10- to 12-inch round (if dough resists, let it rest for 5 minutes). Sprinkle with ¾ cup of the mozzarella, followed by ¼ cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, ¼ cup of the pecorino Romano and then ¼ cup of the Gorgonzola.

3. Transfer to hot pizza stone in oven using pizza peel. Bake until crust is brown and crisp, and cheese begins to brown slightly, 6 to 8 minutes. Use peel to remove pizza from oven and onto a cutting board. Repeat with remaining half of dough and cheeses. Slice and serve.

Serves: 4

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes