Sausage and Bell Pepper Pizza with Basil and Mozzarella
NOTE: If bulk
sausage is not available, buy link sausage, remove the meat from
the casings, and then break it into bite-size pieces. See
figures 24 and 25, for more
information.
1 recipe Thin-Crust Pizza (see chapter three)
3/4 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage, broken into bite-size pieces
11/2 teaspoons olive oil (approximately), plus extra for brushing on stretched dough
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, halved, seeded, and cut into thin strips
Salt and ground black pepper
11/2 cups No-Cook Tomato Sauce with Basil (see chapter two)
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Prepare dough rounds as directed in master recipe through step 2.
2. While preparing dough, put sausage and 1/4 cup water in large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until water evaporates and sausage cooks through and browns, about 10 minutes. Remove sausage with slotted spoon and set aside. Add enough oil so that amount in skillet equals 1 tablespoon. Add bell pepper and sauté until softened slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set bell pepper aside.
3. Brush oil evenly over each stretched dough round. Spread portion of tomato sauce over each dough round, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges uncovered. Scatter portion of sausage and bell pepper over sauce onto each dough round.
4. Bake until edges of crusts start to brown, 6 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until cheese melts, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove pizzas from oven, cut into wedges, and serve immediately.
VARIATION:
Andouille Sausage and Onion Pizza
Substitute andouille sausage removed from casings and broken into bite-size pieces for Italian sausage, replace bell pepper with 2 medium onions sliced thin, and use Spicy No-Cook Tomato Sauce, see chapter two, in place of tomato sauce with basil.