Nancy Silverton hosts a demonstration for students at St. Mary's College in New Zealand in 2019. U.S. Embassy in New Zealand photo

Restaurateur Nancy Silverton is in rare company as a James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef — a distinction she earned in 2014.

The pizza served at her Mozza Restaurant Group is considered among the best in California.

So, when Fresno foodies were given another opportunity to taste the handiwork of Silverton and her team from Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles, they jumped at it.

It took only a couple of hours for Annesso Pizzeria to sell out about 200 tickets to the Nancy Silverton Pizzeria Mozza Takeover lunch happening this Thursday at the North Fresno eatery. Owner Jimmy Pardini said this will be their third collaboration with Silverton, who he worked for as a cook at her Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles from 2007 to 2011.

“We’ve maintained a great relationship,” Pardini said. “It’s a lot of fun for us to collaborate with the Mozza team. And it’s great to bring to Fresno a James Beard award-winning chef showcase.”

The previous takeovers included a dinner at Pardini’s Annex Kitchen in Northwest Fresno and a brunch based on Silverton’s book, “The Cookie That Changed My Life.”

The antipasti course for the lunch on Thursday includes a squash blossom fritti with ricotta, parmigiana and lemon; white bean bruschette alla Toscana with saba and thyme; and roasted baby peppers stuffed with tuna.

Diners will have the choice of a pizza from these options and more: primavera, with spring peas, pea tendrils, green garlic, ricotta and parmigiano, BLT with bacon, guanciale, roasted tomatoes, arugula and aioli and fennel sausage with panna, mozzarella, red onion and scallions.

The dessert course will be butterscotch budino, a pudding with caramel sauce, crème fraiche and Maldon seal salt.

Tickets for the launch takeover were $75. Pardini said more collaborations could be in the pipeline.