Pepperoni Pizza Bites with Homemade Marinara Sauce

  4.6 – 12 reviews  
Level: Intermediate
Total: 1 hr 25 min
Active: 50 min
Yield: 24 pizza bites
Level: Intermediate
Total: 1 hr 25 min
Active: 50 min
Yield: 24 pizza bites

Ingredients

  1. Extra-virgin olive oil
  2. 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough
  3. 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
  4. 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  5. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  6. All-purpose flour, for dusting
  7. 6 ounces sliced pepperoni
  8. 2 1/2 to 3 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella (about 12 ounces)
  9. Marinara Sauce, for serving, recipe follows
  10. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  11. 1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion (about 1/2 small onion)
  12. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  13. 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
  14. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  15. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  16. Pinch crushed red pepper
  17. One 26-ounce box chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease the foil with olive oil. Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl combine the garlic, Parmesan, parsley and 1/4 cup olive oil. Set aside.
  3. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out the pizza dough into a 12-by-14-inch rectangle. Arrange the dough with the 14-inch side parallel to you. With a ruler, mark every 4 inches along the 12-inch side. Cut the dough straight across at the marks to make three 4-inch-wide strips. Brush top of the strips with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Shingle the pepperoni slices over the dough strips. Sprinkle 3/4 to 1 cup of the mozzarella in a line down the center of each strip.
  4. Roll up each dough strip into a long log, as you would for cinnamon rolls. It is easiest to begin by folding the bottom of the dough up over the cheese; if there is any cheese sticking out, stuff it back into the roll. Continue rolling the dough over itself until it forms a log with dough on the outside and all of the pepperoni and mozzarella on the inside. Pinch the seams together, then pinch the sides together. Lightly brush the logs all over with olive oil and transfer them, seam-side down, to the prepared baking sheet.
  5. Bake until golden brown, 12 minutes. Brush the tops of the logs generously with the garlic mixture and return to the oven for another 3 minutes, until the garlic is very fragrant but not yet browned. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  6. Transfer the pepperoni rolls to a cutting board and slice into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Serve immediately with marinara sauce.
  7. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepot. Add the onions and salt and saute until softened, 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the tomato paste, oregano and crushed red pepper; cook 30 seconds to toast the tomato paste and spices. Stir in the chopped tomatoes. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning with salt to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve, or cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 of 24 servings
Calories 157
Total Fat 9 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Carbohydrates 12 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugar 1 g
Protein 7 g
Cholesterol 19 mg
Sodium 353 mg
Serving Size 1 of 24 servings
Calories 157
Total Fat 9 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Carbohydrates 12 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugar 1 g
Protein 7 g
Cholesterol 19 mg
Sodium 353 mg

Reviews

Aaron Tyler
Made my own dough and my family loved, especially with marinara sauce! Don’t skip any ingredients in the sauce, best we have ever had.
Kimberly Nguyen
The flavors were very good. The topping really made the dish. We had a little trouble rolling them up and they burned on bottom. I used parchment paper on tray but it was a dark pan so maybe use a lighter sheet pan. I will try again. 
Tamara Randall
Fantastic! I had them for lunch. Definitely bringing it to my next Board meeting!
Michael Bell
Very easy to make…skipped the sauce and just served the bites. Definitely a party fav! The topping made it taste like a pepperoni garlic knot.
Michael Avila Jr.
Omg loved it Heavenly
Zachary Brown
Made these for our super bowl party, they were a hit! I used turkey pepperoni, store bought pizza dough and marinara sauce. I made them in the morning, put them in the fridge and popped them in the oven when our guests arrived. Very easy and you can adapt ingredients to make these your own. Love Valerie and her recipes.
Kevin Logan
Can we prepare in advance and reheat…or can it be prep in the morning o be cooked later ?
James Gray
This is a great recipe with endless possibilities for the filling. Will make again!
William Rivera
Excellent!
Joel Wright
Very fatty ingredients.  Next time, I would use low fat regular size pepperoni or turkey pepperoni.  Also, the pizza dough should be rolled out with it is very cold, not having been left out for 30 minutes.  Sauce is excellent!  I will make it again, with the revisions mentioned above. 

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top