Italian Sausage and Caramelized Onion Pizza features a crispy pizza crust topped with fragrant tomato sauce, caramelized onions, juicy Italian sausage, a hint of chili flakes, and a sprinkle of aromatic herbs. Get ready to impress your friends and family with this easy-to-make masterpiece!
Let dough temper - Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
1 tablespoon all purpose flour, 1 lb pizza dough
Preheat oven - Place the oven rack in the middle tier and preheat the oven to 475°F.
Cook sausage - In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add sausage to the pan and use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into small pieces. Cook until the sausage is just about cooked through and becomes browned and crumbly in texture, about 7-10 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 8 oz sweet or hot Italian sausage
Cook onions - Add more olive oil to the pan on medium heat and add the thinly sliced onions. Cook the onions and stir occasionally until the onions are light brown and caramelized. Remove from heat and season to taste with a pinch of salt.
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 small sweet onion, kosher salt
Pizza sauce - While the sausage and onions cook, make the pizza sauce. In a bowl, mix the crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, and extra virgin olive oil until combined. Salt to taste and set aside.
kosher salt, 14 oz crushed tomatoes, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Prepare pizza - Stretch the dough by hand or use a rolling pin to create a 12-inch circle or a 9x13" rectangle. Lightly oil a pizza pan or baking sheet with olive oil and place the dough on in the pan. Use a ladle to spread pizza sauce on the dough, using the back of the ladle or a spoon to smooth out the sauce in a circular motion. Leave about an inch around the edges for the crust. Then, top the pizza with mozzarella first, then the rosemary, red pepper flakes, onions, and sausage.
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 small sweet onion, ½ cup pizza sauce, 8 oz mozzarella cheese, 1 tablespoon rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes
Bake pizza - Bake pizza on the middle rack for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden and the bottom of the crust is lightly browned. The cheese will be bubbly around the edges. Baking time may vary depending on the size of your oven.
Serve - Remove from the oven and cut into 8 slices. Top with fresh basil ribbons and serve immediately.
2 tablespoon fresh basil
Video
Notes
Storage
Refrigerate leftover sausage pizza in an air-tight container or wrapped in foil for up to 3 days. When you are ready to eat it, enjoy it cold, at room temperature, or heat in the oven at 300°F on a baking sheet for 5 to 7 minutes.
Top Tips
Brown the sausage to bring out its flavor and make the outside crispy.
Deglaze the panwith a tablespoon of water to incorporate any leftover bits into the sausage.
Dust the dough with flour so it won't stick to the pan while baking.
Spread the dough slowly and carefully so it has an even thickness throughout and there aren't any holes or thin areas.
If using a domed pizza oven, like Gozney or Ooni, reduce the cook time to accommodate the oven. Cook times will be closer to 5 minutes or less.