Sausage, Mushroom and Sweet Pepper Pizza
By Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen
Sausage, Mushroom and Sweet Pepper Pizza
By Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen
Yield/Serves:
Makes 2 (12-inch) pizzas or 4 (8-inch) pizzas
- For the Sauce:
- 1 (14-ounce) can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the Pizza Toppings:
- 12 ounces pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and cooked
- 8 ounces mini sweet peppers, or red and orange bell pepper
- 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced into rings
- 1 cup thinly sliced crimini mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 recipe Homemade Pizza Dough
- Cornmeal or flour, as needed
- 2 cups grated low-moisture mozzarella
- ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
We recommend using mini sweet peppers for this classic pizza. The advantage of these little gems is that they play well with others and don’t drown the flavors of the other toppings. Also these peppers roast easier because the skins are so thin they do not require peeling like the bigger bell pepper. If using bell peppers, choose only red and orange varieties as they are sweeter and milder than the green.
Place a pizza stone in the lower third of your oven and preheat the oven to 500°F. Allow the pizza stone to preheat for at least 30 minutes.
To make tomato sauce: Drain the liquid from the tomatoes and transfer to a small bowl. Using an immersion blender, pulse 3 or 4 times until the tomatoes are puréed. Stir in garlic and olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
To grill peppers and onion: Place peppers on a grill pan over high heat, cook until blistered and charred. Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat procedure with onion rings. When cool to the touch, cut peppers lengthwise to remove any stem, inner white parts and seeds and slice into quarters. Toss peppers, onions and sliced mushrooms with olive oil and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
To prepare pizza: Once your stone is preheated, start rolling out your dough. Dust work surface with flour. Flatten one dough ball to a thickness of ½-inch, and roll to desired diameter. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and cover with another piece of parchment and proceed with remaining dough.
Sprinkle a pizza peel with some cornmeal or flour and place a dough round on the peel. Give the peel a little shake to make sure the dough moves freely and is not sticking. Lightly coat dough with tomato sauce, leaving ½-inch exposed around the edge. Sprinkle the dough with cooked sausage, mozzarella, roasted, peppers, onion and mushrooms. (A common mistake cooks make is to overcrowd the pizza with toppings, which results in uneven cooking, distribute toppings sparingly for a perfectly cooked pizza.)
Working quickly to minimize heat loss, open the oven and slide the pizza off of the peel onto the pizza stone. Allow your pizza to cook until you have reached your desired crust, about 8 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cutting board. Let pizza rest for 1 to 2 minutes before you cut it. Serve immediately.
Place a pizza stone in the lower third of your oven and preheat the oven to 500°F. Allow the pizza stone to preheat for at least 30 minutes.
To make tomato sauce: Drain the liquid from the tomatoes and transfer to a small bowl. Using an immersion blender, pulse 3 or 4 times until the tomatoes are puréed. Stir in garlic and olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
To grill peppers and onion: Place peppers on a grill pan over high heat, cook until blistered and charred. Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat procedure with onion rings. When cool to the touch, cut peppers lengthwise to remove any stem, inner white parts and seeds and slice into quarters. Toss peppers, onions and sliced mushrooms with olive oil and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
To prepare pizza: Once your stone is preheated, start rolling out your dough. Dust work surface with flour. Flatten one dough ball to a thickness of ½-inch, and roll to desired diameter. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and cover with another piece of parchment and proceed with remaining dough.
Sprinkle a pizza peel with some cornmeal or flour and place a dough round on the peel. Give the peel a little shake to make sure the dough moves freely and is not sticking. Lightly coat dough with tomato sauce, leaving ½-inch exposed around the edge. Sprinkle the dough with cooked sausage, mozzarella, roasted, peppers, onion and mushrooms. (A common mistake cooks make is to overcrowd the pizza with toppings, which results in uneven cooking, distribute toppings sparingly for a perfectly cooked pizza.)
Working quickly to minimize heat loss, open the oven and slide the pizza off of the peel onto the pizza stone. Allow your pizza to cook until you have reached your desired crust, about 8 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cutting board. Let pizza rest for 1 to 2 minutes before you cut it. Serve immediately.