Top Italian Pizza Recipes

Margherita Pizza

15 mins to cook

Ingredients

Vegetarian

Produce

• 5 Basil, large fresh leaves
• 2 Garlic cloves, fresh
• 1 cup San marzano tomatoes, canned

Baking & Spices

• 1/2 tsp Active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour, unbleached
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tbsp Cornmeal
• 1 tsp Granulated sugar
• 1 Red pepper flakes, dried
• 3/4 tsp Sea salt
• 2 large pinches Sea salt

Oils & Vinegars

• 1 1/3 tbsp Olive oil, extra virgin

Dairy

• 7 oz Mozzarella cheese, fresh
• 2 tbsp Parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Liquids

• 7 oz Water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare Pizza Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm water and olive oil, and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the dough just begins to come together. It will seem shaggy and dry, but don't worry.
2. Scrape the dough onto a well-floured counter top and knead the dough for three minutes. It should quickly come together and begin to get sticky. Dust the dough with flour as needed (sometimes I will have to do this 2 to 3 times, depending on humidity levels) - it should be slightly tacky, but should not be sticking to your counter top. After three minutes, the dough should be smooth, slightly elastic, and tacky. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil, and place the dough into the bowl.
3. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel (or plastic wrap) and allow the dough to rise in a warm, dry area of your kitchen for 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. If your kitchen is very cold, one great tip that I do all the time is to heat a large heatproof measuring cup of water in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. This creates a nice warm environment and I'll immediately remove the cup and place the bowl with the dough in the microwave until it has risen. [If you are preparing in advance, see the note section for freezing instructions.]
4. Preheat Oven and Pizza Stone: Place the pizza stone on the center (or top third) rack of your oven, and preheat the oven and pizza stone to 550 degrees Fahrenheit (for at least 30-45 minutes). If your oven does not go up to 550 degrees, heat it to the absolute maximum temperature that it can go. If it can heat to higher than 550 degrees Fahrenheit, even better!
5. As the oven is preheating, assemble the ingredients. In a small bowl, stir together the pureed tomatoes, minced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, pepper, and salt. Set aside another small bowl with the cubed mozzarella cheese (pat the cheese with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture). Set aside the basil leaves and grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for easy grabbing.
6. Separate the dough into two equal-sized portions. It will deflate slightly, but that is OK. Place the dough on a large plate or floured counter top, cover gently with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Assemble the Pizza: Sprinkle the pizza peel (alternatively, you can use the back of a baking sheet - but it will be harder!) with a tablespoon of the cornmeal. Gently stretch one ball of pizza dough into roughly a 10-inch circle (don't worry if its not perfectly uniform). If the dough springs back or is too elastic, allow it to rest for an additional five minutes. The edges of the dough can be slightly thicker, but make sure the center of the dough is thin (you should be able to see some light through it if you held it up). Gently transfer the dough onto the cornmeal-dusted pizza peel or baking sheet.
8. Drizzle or brush the dough lightly with olive oil (teaspoon or so). Using a large spoon, add roughly 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce onto the pizza dough, leaving a 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch border on all sides. Use the back of the spoon to spread it evenly and thinly. Sprinkle a tablespoon of parmigiano-reggiano cheese onto the pizza sauce. Add half of the cubed mozzarella, distributing it evenly over the entire pizza. Using your hands, tear a few large basil leaves, and sprinkle the basil over the pizza. At this point, I'll occasionally stretch the sides of the dough out a bit to make it even thinner. Gently slide the pizza from the peel onto the heated baking stone. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling and caramelized and the edges of the pizza are golden brown. Remove the pizza carefully from the oven with the pizza peel, transfer to a wooden cutting board or foil, drizzle the top with olive oil, some grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and chiffonade of fresh basil. Slice and serve immediately and/or prepare the second pizza.
9. If you're serving two pizzas at once, I recommend placing the cooked pizza on a separate baking sheet while you prepare the other pizza. In the last few minutes of cooking, place the prepared pizza into the oven (on a rack below the pizza stone) so that it is extra hot for serving. Otherwise, I recommend serving one pizza fresh out of the oven, keeping the oven hot, and preparing the second pizza after people have gone through the first one! The pizza will taste great either way, but it is at its prime within minutes out of the oven!.

Italian Sausage & Caramelized Onion Pizza

55 mins to make, serves 4-6

Ingredients

Meat

• 1/2 lb Italian sausage, Mild

Produce

• 1 Sweet onion, thin

Condiments

• 1/2 cup Marinara sauce

Baking & Spices

• 1/2 Recipe homemade pizza dough

Dairy

• 1 tbsp Butter, unsalted
• 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion slices; stir to separate the slices into individual pieces. Cook until onions just begin to brown - about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until onions are tender and caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to a bowl; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
3. Using the same skillet, add Italian sausage and return heat to medium. Cook until sausage is browned and cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain; set aside.
4. Roll out pizza dough to a 14 to 16" round {depending on your baking sheet/pizza stone size}, and place on baking sheet or pizza stone.
5. Bake dough for 5 mins. Carefully remove crust from oven.
6. Top with a thin-ish layer of marinara to within ½-inch of the dough edge.
7. Then top with sausage and almost all the onions. Sprinkle pizza evenly with cheese, and the remaining onions.
8. Bake for another 8 to 12 minutes until cheese is bubbly, crust edges are golden brown and bottom is crispy. Remove from oven, slice, and eat!

Mushroom Pizza with Pancetta and Caramelized Onions

1 hr to make, makes 8 slices

Ingredients

Gluten free

Meat

• 4 oz Pancetta

Produce

• 1/4 cup Parsley, fresh
• 2 cups Portobello mushrooms, mini
• 2 Yellow onions, large

Baking & Spices

• 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
• 3/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar

Oils & Vinegars

• 5 tbsp Olive oil

Dairy

• 12 oz Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. For the caramelized onions:
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-heat. Add onions, salt, and sugar; stir to coat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until onions are soft and slightly golden. Remove from skillet and set aside.
3. For the pancetta:
4. Add the pancetta to the same skillet and cook over medium-heat for 4-5 minutes, or until firm and lightly golden at the edges. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a small plate; set aside.
5. For the mushrooms:
6. Add the olive oil to same skillet. Add in mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until the mushrooms have slightly softened. Remove from skillet and set aside.
7. Assembly:
8. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F). Lightly grease a pizza stone or baking sheet with olive oil.
9. Roll pizza dough out to a large circle (about 12 inches). Pour a 1/2 cup of sauce in the center and spread it around evenly. Add cheese, then add mushrooms, panchetta, and onions.
10. Place pizza in the oven to bake for about 16 minutes, or until the crust is set and the cheese is bubbling. Sprinkle hot pizza with crushed red pepper and parsley (optional). Cut into slices and serve at once!

Notes

The trick to a perfect pizza is a very hot oven! Be sure to crank your oven on at least 45 minutes before baking. I usually preheat mine for 1 hour. Hot oven = gooey cheese and crispy crust. *Toppings can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.

Easy Pizza Casserole

Ingredients

Meat

• 6 oz Pepperoni

Produce

• 1 tsp Garlic powder

Condiments

• 1 (14-15 oz) jar pizza sauce

Baking & Spices

• 3 3/4 cup Bisquick
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Dairy

• 2 cups Mozzarella cheese

Liquids

• 1 cup Water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Spray a 9x13 baking dish lightly with cooking spray, set aside.
3. In a medium bowl combine Bisquick, garlic powder and Italian seasonings. Add water and stir until a soft dough forms. (If dough is too sticky, sprinkle a few tablespoons more Bisquick, if it feels dry add a tablespoon of water). Divide dough in half and drop dough by tablespoon sized portions all over the bottom of the prepared pan. Pan will not be covered by the dough. Next drizzle 1 cup of the pizza sauce on top of the dough. Then layer half of the pepperoni on top of sauce. Finally sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese all over the pepperoni. Repeat this entire process again with remaining ingredients.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Oregano Garlic Pizza Dough

Serves 2

Ingredients

Vegetarian

Produce

• 1/2 tbsp Garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Oregano, dried

Condiments

• 1 tbsp Honey

Baking & Spices

• 1 envelope Active dry yeast
• 3 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 Cornmeal (for dusting and rolling), yellow
• 1 tsp Salt

Oils & Vinegars

• 1 tbsp Olive oil, extra virgin

Liquids

• 1 cup Water

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil. Stir to combine and let it sit until it starts to foam, approximately 5 minutes.
2. Add the oregano, garlic powder, and salt to the yeast mixture. Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour, mixing gently until incorporated. Add the flour a little at a time, working the flour into the dough after each addition, until the dough is a little sticky and smooth. You will likely not need all of the flour.
3. Remove the dough and knead on a floured surface for 3-5 minutes until the dough is still a little tacky but smooth.
4. Cover the inside of the large mixing bowl with some more olive oil. Put the dough in the oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with the oil. Keep the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place for approximately 90 minutes until the dough is doubled in size.
5. When you are ready to start making the pizza, place your pizza stone (or a large baking sheet) in the oven on the center rack. Preheat to 450F.
6. Dust your pizza peel with some cornmeal. The cornmeal will give the crust a great texture and bite while also preventing it from sticking to the surface you are working on. Cut the dough in half for two thin crust pizzas.
7. Roll out one piece of the dough to your desired size, approximately 12" is what I aim for, on the pizza peel and make sure that the size and shape will fit onto your stone or cooking sheet that is in the oven.
8. Using a fork or knife, poke holes in the dough everywhere except for the crust edge. This will allow air to escape and prevent the dough from bubbling up too much.
9. Make sure that the dough is loose on the pizza peel by shaking it gently. The dough should move around. If the dough is sticking anywhere, pull up that area and throw some more cornmeal under it until nothing is sticking.
10. When the oven is done preheating and you are at 450F, open the oven door and throw some cornmeal onto the stone or sheet. Use the pizza peel to shimmy the dough onto the stone/sheet. If you have the cornmeal under the dough, this should be rather easy to do.
11. Blind bake the dough (without toppings or sauce) for approximately 5 minutes. Pull out the crust using your pizza peel when the dough is not soft to the touch anymore and it is just starting to get some color on it.
12. Brush the crust edge with some olive oil and sprinkle with some garlic salt, parmesan, and/or oregano to give it some flavor.
13. Add your sauce and toppings. Put the pizza back in the oven and cook approximately 10-12 minutes longer until the cheese is melting and starting to brown. Let the pizza rest just a couple minutes before serving.