Italian Sausage, Broccoli Rabe and Tomato Pizza
By Tested and perfected in the Sur La Table kitchen
Italian Sausage, Broccoli Rabe and Tomato Pizza
By Tested and perfected in the Sur La Table kitchen
Yield/Serves:
Makes 8 individual (5-inch) pizzas
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced Italian tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Dried oregano, to taste
- Pinch of sugar (optional)
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 pound broccoli rabe, blanched and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into small pieces
- 1 recipe Homemade Pizza Dough (recipe included)
- Corn meal, as needed
These are some of our favorite flavors all combined into one pizza. The sweet sausage paired with the bitter and crunchy broccoli rabe is amazing. Throw in some rich and salty mozzarella, and this pizza is going to steal the show.
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 prepare the tomato sauce: Heat a small saucepan on medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and garlic and stir to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Let sauce simmer quite furiously, stirring occasionally, to let the liquid cook down, about 20 minutes. Lower the heat if the sauce starts to stick. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in dried oregano just prior to using. If the sauce tastes a little sour, add a pinch or two of sugar to your taste. Transfer tomato sauce to a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
To prepare the sausage: Place a large skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Cook, breaking sausages into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until sausage is cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer sausage pieces to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
To roll out your dough: Once your stone is preheated, you can start rolling out your dough. Dust your work surface with flour. Flatten one dough ball to a thickness of ½ inch, and roll to a diameter of about 5 inches, keeping the remaining dough covered. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and cover with another piece of parchment. Continue rolling dough balls and placing on the baking sheet, separating layers of rolled dough with additional sheets of parchment, as needed. Cover stack of dough rounds with plastic wrap and set aside.
To prepare the pizza: Sprinkle a pizza peel with some cornmeal and place a dough round on the peel. Give the peel a little shake to make sure that the dough moves freely and is not sticking. Lightly spread about 2 to 3 tablespoons of sauce onto the dough. Sprinkle the dough with cooked sausage, broccoli rabe, and mozzarella pieces.
To bake the pizza: Working quickly, open the oven and slide the pizza off the peel onto the pizza stone. Allow your pizza to cook until the crust is golden brown and crisp, and the cheese is bubbling, about 8 to 10 minutes.
To serve: Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cutting board. If you let the pizza rest for 1 to 2 minutes before you cut it, you will get prettier pieces.
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 prepare the tomato sauce: Heat a small saucepan on medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and garlic and stir to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Let sauce simmer quite furiously, stirring occasionally, to let the liquid cook down, about 20 minutes. Lower the heat if the sauce starts to stick. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in dried oregano just prior to using. If the sauce tastes a little sour, add a pinch or two of sugar to your taste. Transfer tomato sauce to a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
To prepare the sausage: Place a large skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Cook, breaking sausages into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until sausage is cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer sausage pieces to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
To roll out your dough: Once your stone is preheated, you can start rolling out your dough. Dust your work surface with flour. Flatten one dough ball to a thickness of ½ inch, and roll to a diameter of about 5 inches, keeping the remaining dough covered. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and cover with another piece of parchment. Continue rolling dough balls and placing on the baking sheet, separating layers of rolled dough with additional sheets of parchment, as needed. Cover stack of dough rounds with plastic wrap and set aside.
To prepare the pizza: Sprinkle a pizza peel with some cornmeal and place a dough round on the peel. Give the peel a little shake to make sure that the dough moves freely and is not sticking. Lightly spread about 2 to 3 tablespoons of sauce onto the dough. Sprinkle the dough with cooked sausage, broccoli rabe, and mozzarella pieces.
To bake the pizza: Working quickly, open the oven and slide the pizza off the peel onto the pizza stone. Allow your pizza to cook until the crust is golden brown and crisp, and the cheese is bubbling, about 8 to 10 minutes.
To serve: Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cutting board. If you let the pizza rest for 1 to 2 minutes before you cut it, you will get prettier pieces.