Where I grew up, the only acceptable pizza was a deep-dish Chicago-style cheese fest. I didn’t achieve true pizza nirvana until I moved to New York, home of thin-crust pies scattered with farmers’ market loot at places like Roberta’s in Brooklyn and Milkflower in Queens –meccas for family meetups with friends. We’ve since moved to another thin-crust pizza wasteland (except for glorious summer evenings at Westwind Orchard), but we still crave a pizza-night kind of affair: inexpensive, casual hangouts with friends that leave everyone satisfied, but not stuffed. The solution: making pizza at home. I’m no pizza wizard, so I embraced the deep-dish (or grandma-style) pie of my youth, only sexier (with nowhere near as much cheese). For the adults, this spicy, fennel and spicy sausage moment wins raves. A simpler cheese and broccoli version keeps small people happy — and parents satisfied with the just-enough-vegetables vibe to let you kick back and feel you’ve done your job (use sweet Italian sausage only, and replace the fennel with broccoli, one for one).
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- One 28-ounce (794-gram) can whole peeled tomatoes (such as San Marzano), drained
- 2 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 6 tablespoons (90 milliliters) olive oil
- 1/4 cup (3 grams) fresh basil leaves
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- Two 1-pound (455-gram) balls multigrain or plain pizza dough, at room temperature (see Cook’s Note)
- 1 cup All-Purpose Red Sauce
- 2 1/2 cups (12 ounce) (200 grams) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 ounces (115 grams) salami, sopressata, or Italian sausage
- 1 small spring onion or fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (optional)
- 1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) (15 grams) finely grated Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese
- Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
- Fresh baby greens or herbs
Instructions
- For the all-purpose red sauce: Pulse the tomatoes, anchovies (if using), garlic, oil, and basil in a food processor or blender until mostly smooth (some texture is okay); season with red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and pepper. Makes 8 servings.
- For the pizza: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 525 degrees F (275 degrees C). If your oven only goes to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C), that’s fine.
- Coat a 13-by-18-inch (33-by-46-centimeter) baking sheet with the oil. Gently stretch the two balls of dough into an even layer, to reach into all four corners of the baking sheet, taking your time to stretch evenly with the seam meeting in the middle. Press the seam together to make one large sheet of dough. Spoon the tomato sauce evenly over the top, sprinkle with the mozzarella, and top with salami, spring onion, fennel seeds (if using), and Parmesan.
- Bake until crisp and brown on the bottom and around the edges, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with flaky salt. Top with the greens and drizzle lightly with more oil. Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 14 servings |
| Calories | 321 |
| Total Fat | 16 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 35 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Cholesterol | 12 mg |
| Sodium | 607 mg |
Reviews
This recipe is super easy and feels deluxe!!!