In the annals of modern American pizza, there are few pizzaiolos as famous as Chris Bianco. And of Bianco's most beloved pizzas, almost none are as iconic as his pistachio, red onion and Parmesan-topped Pizza Rosa. Funny, then, that this standout pie was inspired by a delicious yet simple Italian focaccia.

The story of the pizza goes something like this: On a break from running his eponymous restaurant, Bianco took a trip to Liguria, Italy and found himself charmed by a Parmesan and sesame seed focaccia. After trying (and failing) to replicate it at home, he thought about what exactly it was that made the focaccia so special. Part of it was the simplicity of the nutty flavours, but there was something more…

Bianco realised that the sesame seeds he’d had in that Mediterranean port town were so good because they didn’t have to travel far from where they were grown to where they were eaten. He started thinking about nutty and delicious topping options available in his home state of Arizona, and came up with not sesame seeds, but pistachios. The pizza came together from there. In his cookbook, Bianco, the pizzaiolo writes that the creation gets its name from “the pink of the red onion,” an addition inspired by chewy onions at the heart of abialy, a Jewish baked good similar to the bagel. That, we think, is a stroke of culinary genius.

Bianco says his riff on the original focaccia from Liguria “is like playing a cover song; if you do it the exact same way, it won't have the same effect.” We took that as a tacit blessing to play with his creation.

We stuck with a thin dough base cooked at a high temperature and also kept the olive oil, rosemary, pistachio, and red onions. But we strayed from Bianco’s recipe in two notable ways: We used Piave Vecchio cheese, and we added a drizzle of lemon, thyme, Meyer lemon and bay leaf honey for a bright, sticky-sweet citrus kick.

Like Parmigiano Reggiano —the cheese on the pizza that inspired Bianco — Piave Vecchio is nutty and crystalline. Unlike Parm, it has notes of tropical fruit and almond. Basically, Piave Vieccho is a bit sweeter. If you struggle to find it at your local grocery, just substitute a different Italian hard cheese.

From Liguria, Italy to Phoenix, Arizona to Ooni’s US HQ in Austin, Texas to your kitchen, this simple focaccia may have changed a bit, but one thing is certain: It’s been a delicious journey. Buon appetito!