Welsh Rarebit, or Welsh Rabbit, (the names are used interchangeably) is a regional dish in the UK, which has strong associations with — you guessed it — Wales. “Welsh Rabbit” first appears in Hannah Glasse’s 1747 book, “The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy.” Theories around the name “rabbit” range widely: It may allude to the low cost of making the dish, and perhaps it was meant to act as a meat substitute for those who couldn’t afford any. The name “rarebit” is equally ambiguous, but perhaps evolved from a need to confirm the lack of meat in the dish. Today, it maintains a strong presence in Wales thanks to its status as a traditional dish. (It even boasts its own national day on September 3rd.)

The comforting dish blends cheese — (cheddar, most commonly, but any mature hard cheese or creamier, local one like Caerphilly will do — Worcestershire sauce, and mustard made into a simple roux (equal parts fat and flour cooked together and used to thicken a sauce).

Traditionally, the cheese sauce is spread over thick toast and grilled until golden and bubbling. It’s sometimes served with laverbread (or as some call it “Welshman’s caviar” ), an edible seaweed typically from Wales’ southern coast; it’s dark, salty, and cuts through the rich cheese sauce nicely. Other popular accompaniments include nduja, bacon, leeks, and ham hocks.

For this reinterpretation, we’ve taken the creamy cheese sauce and slathered it over pizza crust. Topped with extra cheese and fresh ground black pepper, it’s cooked just like any cheese pizza and served hot. Its simplicity lends itself to experimentation: Adjust the Worcestershire sauce to your liking, try a blend of hard cheeses, or even opt for the local Welshman’s Caviar (if you can get ahold of some).