This homemade sausage and basil pesto pizza is so much better than take out! Make delicious, authentic tasting pizza right in your own kitchen!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage, spicy or mild, cooked and crumbled
- Store bought pizza dough or a pre-baked pizza crust (let the dough come to room temperature)
- 28 ounce can whole peeled San Marzano Tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese
- Basil infused olive oil
- Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Pour the can of tomatoes into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until you get a chunky sauce. Season with a pinch or two of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- If using a pre-baked pizza crust, follow the instructions on the package for a pre-baked crust. If using a store bought pizza dough roll the dough out into a 10 inch round and place on a pizza stone or a large baking sheet with a light coating of olive oil.
- Add a thin layer of sauce to the pizza. Don’t add too much sauce because your pizza will be soggy after it bakes, we’re looking for a nice, crispy crust. Add the sausage crumbles to the pizza, followed by several dollops of the basil pesto. Scatter the fresh mozzarella on the pizza.
- If pre-baked, bake the pizza for another 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust is brown and crispy. Or, if starting from fresh, bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust is nice and brown. remove the pizza from the oven and drizzle with the basil infused oil, then top with parmesan cheese and fresh strips of basil.
- Cut into slices and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
If you don’t have a pizza stone, a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray will work too. You can make 2 smaller pizza rounds to fit on the baking sheet.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
