This easy recipe is perfect for busy weekends
when all you want is a tasty meal and a cold beverage. I use sausage, but don’t
let that stop you. Add on whatever toppings suit you right after the meat. The
cooking time remains the same. The secret to making this pizza extra good is
the grated Parmesan cheese. Our grandson, Dakota, works at an Italian
restaurant and offered this suggestion. GREAT addition.
Pizza
Garlic Dressing
Pinto Grigio or Cold Peroni Beer
& Easy Pizza
1
lb. Italian sausage, preferably bulk type
tube refrigerated pizza dough
2
oz. tomato paste, freeze remainder to use in other recipes
stock, not broth
tbsp. garlic powder, not salt
tbsp. oregano1
tbsp. basil
tsp. sugar
ground pepper to taste
cheese, grated
oil to drizzle
½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Preheat
oven to 425°.
Place sausage in cold frying pan set over
medium heat. Break into small chunks as you sauté it until no longer pink,
about 15 minutes. Adjust heat so as not to burn sausage. If you use link
sausage then squeeze it from the casing before frying.
Scoop tomato paste into a measuring cup. Stir
in enough chicken stock to bring the blend to just under two-thirds cup. Mix in
garlic, oregano, basil, sugar, and pepper until well blended. You may need a
little more stock to make the mixture more sauce like. Don’t add too much or
your crust will soggy.
If you use a pizza pan then sprinkle just
a little cornmeal or flour on. This helps absorb the moisture while baking to
maintain a crisp crust. It isn’t necessary with a pizza stone.
Spread out the dough on the pan/stone. Smear
sauce on top and spread to the edges. Grate a healthy amount of Parmesan over
the dough.
Cascade sausage and your other toppings onto
the pie. Drizzle with oil. Bake 12 minutes.
Remove pan/stone from oven. Scatter mozzarella
across the top. Turn off the oven then set the pizza inside. Allow pizza to remain
until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
Cut into squares and enjoy!
May you enjoy all the days of your life filled with good friends, laughter, and seated around a well-laden table!
Sloane
Taylor’s cookbooks, Hot Mean Wear Aprons, Date Night Dinners, Date Night Dinners Italian Style, Sizzling Summer, and Recipes to Create Holidays Extraordinaire are released by Toque & Dagger Publishing and available at all book vendors.