Chef notes
I love the simple, classic flavors of this easy pizza. It's a crowdpleaser that both kids and adults will love.
Technique tip: By rotating the pizza from the bottom of the oven to the top of the oven, you are able to mimic the results of cooking in a stone pizza oven.
Swap option: Chicken sausage works great here, as does broccoli rabe.
Ingredients
- 1 28-ounce can tomato purée
- 1/2 cup basil leaves, torn
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound spicy Italian sausage
- 1 bunch broccoli, cut into bite sized florets, about 3 cups
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 16-ounce ball pizza dough
- 3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
For the sauce:
In a medium bowl, combine the purée, basil, olive oil and salt. Stir together until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to allow the flavors to marry.
For the pizza:
1.Preheat the oven to 500°F. Place one rack in the top third of the oven and remove the other racks.
2.Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the sausage and cook, breaking apart the sausage with a wooden spoon to form bite-sized pieces, until the sausage is golden brown and cooked, about 10 minutes. Add the broccoli to the pan and stir and to coat the broccoli in the flavors of the sausage. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
3.Flip a rimmed baking sheet upside down and sprinkle with flour. Stretch out the pizza dough to 1/4-inch thick leaving it slightly thicker around the edges. Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the dough and top with the slices of mozzarella. Spread the sausage topping evenly over the crust and top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake directly on the bottom of the oven for 5 minutes, then switch to the top rack for an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.
