In Italy, particularly in Naples, most pizzerias sell calzones too.  If you’re not familiar with them, a calzone is a circular pizza crust that’s topped with mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, and other pizza toppings, then folded and baked or fried.

Because of their portability, Italian street vendors sell calzones as a take-away lunch.  In sit-down restaurants, they’re often served with a dish of warm marinara sauce for dipping.  Traditional pizza toppings like Italian sausage or pepperoni are often added, as are vegetables like mushrooms and peppers.

Making a calzone is easy. Start with your favorite pizza dough.  Roll it out on a floured surface into a circle that’s about 12″ in diameter.  Depending on the ingredients you use and who you’re feeding, a calzone that size should feed one or two.  If everyone wants to add their own ingredients, make several smaller circles.

Top one side of the dough with about 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.  Add the rest of your toppings, then fold the dough over, created a half-moon shaped pie.  Crimp the edges with a fork, then brush with olive oil or a little egg yolk.  Cut a couple of small vents in the dough.  Then bake in a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

With a molten cheese center and crispy outer crust, calzones are absolutely addictive, and they work well with all sorts of ingredients.  The creaminess of the ricotta cheese makes them different from a pizza — more akin to lasagna.  But you can make a calzone in a fraction of the time.

One of the best Italian-style calzones is stuffed with cooked tiny meatballs and Italian sausage, with marinara sauce on the side.  If you put the sauce inside the calzone, the crust gets soggy.

If you’re not in the mood for Italian, make one with diced ham, grated Cheddar cheese, and some cooked broccoli florets.  Ham is also good with Swiss or Gruyere cheese and caramelized onions.  Or brush the dough with some Dijon mustard, and top with pepperoni, Parmesan, and Gruyere.  Delicious.

Spinach calzones are especially good, and you can make a Greek calzone by using sautéed spinach, feta cheese, and kalamata olives. Serve tzatziki sauce on the side.  Or substitute creamy goat cheese and add some chopped tomato.

For a Reuben calzone, spread Russian dressing on the dough and top with chopped pastrami, grated Swiss cheese and well-drained sauerkraut.   A Mexican calzone might contain ground beef mixed with salsa, Cheddar cheese, black olives, tomatoes, and sour cream.  And a barbecued chicken calzone with barbecue sauce, cooked rotisserie chicken, smoked Gouda cheese, green onions, and cilantro makes a great dinner.

A stromboli is similar to a calzone except that bread dough is used to make stromboli.  The dough is topped and rolled, not folded.  After it’s baked, the stromboli is cut into slices for serving.   It’s often made with the same pizza toppings that are used to make calzones.

The next time you’re planning to make a pizza, but want something a little different, try one of these calzones instead.

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Pepperoni is America’s most popular pizza topping.  It’s convenient, inexpensive, and oh-so-satisfying.  But it’s also greasy, salty, and the day after you eat it, your eyes with be puffy.

Ditto Italian sausage, which is another all-time favorite.

The good news is that there are lots of healthier alternatives that will satisfy your craving without wrecking your health.  Low-fat and low-sodium pepperoni are readily available and they’re almost as flavorful as the real deal.  And Italian sausage made with chicken or turkey is a good substitute.

Other cured meats are good because a little bit adds a lot of flavor.  Deli-style ham is good with milder pizza toppings.  Spicy Capicolla complements the big, bold flavors of a Sicilian pizza.  And  Prosciutto, the paper-thin, dry-cured Italian ham, is wonderful with caramelized onions, Gruyere, Fontina, and Gouda.

Although we think it’s blasphemy, Canadian bacon and pineapple is adored by many.

Bacon, especially applewood smoked bacon, brings a wonderful salty smokiness to savory pizzas.  SautÈ it and drain it on paper towels before topping your pizza.  It’s great with Gruyere, Fontina, smoked cheese, wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, and other woody ingredients.

The Italian bacons are also wonderful.   Pancetta, which is cured but not smoked, is available in many American grocery stores.  And guanciale, which is preferred by Italian cooks for dishes like bucatini al’amatriciania and linguini carbonara, is worth the trouble of seeking out.  It’s a little stronger than pancetta and has a more delicate texture.

Ground beef should also be sautÈed and drained before using.  It’s best with tomato sauce and mild cheese, cheddar, olive, and Mexican toppings, or as a substitute for sausage in a traditional Italian pie.

Grilled chicken is a real workhorse that can be combined with almost anything.   For a barbecue chicken pizza, top your crust with BBQ sauce, gouda, red onion, chicken, and cilantro.  Or replace the BBQ sauce with hot sauce mixed with butter, add some sliced celery, swap out the gouda for bleu cheese or gorgonzola crumbles, and create a Buffalo chicken pizza.  To make a yummy Thai pizza, use peanut sauce, chicken, julienne carrots, green onions, and cilantro.

Anchovies should be paired with other bold flavors like capers, garlic, and kalamata olives.  And don’t forget about grilled shrimp, which is excellent with tomatoes, olives, and feta or  basil pesto, chopped ripe tomatoes, and goat cheese.  Or combine smoked salmon, red onions, capers, dill, and crËme fraiche or sour cream for a delicious brunch pizza.

Whatever meat you use as a pizza topping, use it sparingly.  It should be an accent and not the main event.  And since you won’t be using more than a few ounces, make sure to invest in the best quality.

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