Rustic Sausage Ricotta Pizza (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ For the Pizza
01 -
1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature
02 -
All-purpose flour, for dusting
03 -
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
04 -
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
05 -
3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
06 -
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
07 -
1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese
08 -
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
09 -
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 -
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
→ For the Salad
11 -
4 cups baby spinach (about 125g)
12 -
1 small bulb fennel, trimmed, cored, thinly sliced
13 -
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
14 -
3/4 cup quartered marinated artichoke hearts, drained and halved
15 -
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
16 -
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
17 -
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
18 -
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
19 -
Red pepper flakes, for garnish
# Instructions:
01 -
Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C). Place an inverted baking sheet or pizza stone on the lowest rack.
02 -
Stretch the pizza dough into an 11-by-15-inch (28-by-38-cm) rectangle on parchment paper dusted with flour. Trim any excess paper.
03 -
Transfer dough with parchment onto the hot baking sheet or stone. Bake until golden in spots, 10–12 minutes.
04 -
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, breaking it up with a spatula until browned and fully cooked, about 4 minutes.
05 -
Remove partially baked crust from the oven. Spread ricotta evenly over the surface, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle with mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan cheeses.
06 -
Distribute the cooked sausage and minced garlic evenly over the cheese layer.
07 -
Return pizza to oven and bake for another 8–10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and edges are golden brown. Sprinkle with dried oregano.
08 -
While pizza finishes baking, drain the red onion from its ice water bath. In a large bowl, combine spinach, fennel, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and drained onion. Dress with red wine vinegar and olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
09 -
Top the hot pizza with the fresh salad. Slice and finish with a pinch of red pepper flakes before serving.
# Notes:
01 -
For best results, allow pizza dough to come to room temperature at least 30 minutes before stretching.
02 -
Soaking the red onion in ice water for 10 minutes removes some of its sharpness while maintaining its crunch.