Sausage and Friggitelli Pepper Pizza

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 2 rustic 12-inch pizzas, 4 servings
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes, including 1 hour rise time

Quick Ingredients

• Dough: 3 cups bread flour, 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt, 1 cup warm water, 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Tomato: 1 can 14 ounces whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 grated garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• Toppings: 8 ounces Italian sausage, 8 ounces friggitelli peppers, 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, black pepper, basil

Do This

• 1. Mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt, warm water, and olive oil into a dough; knead 5 minutes and rise 1 hour.
• 2. Preheat oven to 500°F with a pizza stone or steel for at least 45 minutes.
• 3. Crush drained tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, salt, and oregano.
• 4. Brown crumbled sausage for 5 minutes; fry friggitelli peppers in olive oil for 6 to 8 minutes.
• 5. Divide dough into 2 balls, stretch each into a 12-inch round, and place on a floured peel or parchment.
• 6. Top each pizza with tomato, mozzarella, sausage, peppers, Parmesan, and black pepper.
• 7. Bake each pizza at 500°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden and the cheese is melted.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Rustic and deeply flavorful: Sweet fried friggitelli peppers balance the savory richness of Italian sausage.
• Home-oven friendly: A very hot oven, dry mozzarella, and a simple crushed tomato sauce help you get crisp, flavorful results without special equipment.
• Fresh but hearty: Tomato, basil, and peppers keep the pizza bright, while sausage and mozzarella make it satisfying enough for dinner.
• Flexible: Use mild or hot sausage, homemade or store-bought dough, and either fresh or low-moisture mozzarella.

Grocery List

• Produce: 8 ounces friggitelli peppers, 1 garlic clove, fresh basil leaves
• Dairy: 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• Meat: 8 ounces mild or hot Italian sausage
• Pantry: Bread flour, instant yeast, sugar, fine salt, olive oil, 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, dried oregano, black pepper, semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

Full Ingredients

For the Pizza Dough

• 3 cups bread flour, 360 grams, plus more for shaping
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, 1 standard packet
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 cup warm water, 240 milliliters, at 105°F to 110°F
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for the bowl
• 1 tablespoon semolina flour or cornmeal, for dusting the peel or parchment

For the Tomato Sauce

• 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, 14 ounces or 400 grams, drained well
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional

For the Sausage and Friggitelli Peppers

• 8 ounces Italian sausage, mild or hot, casings removed if using links
• 8 ounces friggitelli peppers, also called Italian sweet frying peppers
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For Assembling the Pizzas

• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained, torn into small pieces, and patted very dry
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing the crust edges, optional
• 8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, torn after baking
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the dough

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the bread flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm water, 105°F to 110°F, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix with a sturdy spoon until a shaggy dough forms and no dry patches remain.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, until smoother and slightly elastic. If it feels sticky, dust with flour 1 teaspoon at a time; avoid adding too much, or the crust can become dense. The dough should feel soft, tacky, and springy.

Step 2: Let the dough rise and heat the oven

Lightly oil a clean bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turn it once to coat, cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until roughly doubled in size.

While the dough rises, place a pizza stone or baking steel on the lower-middle oven rack and preheat the oven to 500°F for at least 45 minutes. A long preheat is important because the stone or steel needs time to become very hot. If you do not have a stone or steel, place a heavy rimmed baking sheet upside down in the oven and preheat it the same way.

Step 3: Mix the quick tomato sauce

Drain the canned tomatoes very well so the pizza does not turn watery. Place the drained tomatoes in a bowl and crush them with your hands or a fork until saucy but still a little textured. Stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil, grated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes if using.

Taste the sauce. It should be bright, lightly salty, and simple. This is an uncooked pizza sauce, so keep it thick and rustic rather than smooth and loose.

Step 4: Cook the sausage

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until browned in spots and just cooked through.

Transfer the sausage to a plate lined with a paper towel if it looks very oily. Leave about 1 teaspoon of sausage drippings in the skillet for extra flavor, or wipe the skillet clean if you prefer a lighter pizza.

Step 5: Fry the friggitelli peppers

Trim the stems from the friggitelli peppers. If the peppers are small and tender, you can leave them whole; for easier eating on pizza, halve them lengthwise and remove most of the seeds. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the peppers and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until the peppers are softened, blistered in places, and lightly browned at the edges. Season with 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, then transfer to a plate. If any peppers are large, cut them into 2-inch pieces before topping the pizza.

Step 6: Shape the pizza dough

Lightly flour your work surface. Turn out the risen dough and divide it into 2 equal pieces, about 300 grams each. Shape each piece into a ball and let them rest, covered, for 10 minutes. This short rest relaxes the gluten and makes stretching easier.

Working with one dough ball at a time, press it into a flat disk. Use your fingertips to push the dough outward from the center, leaving a slightly thicker rim around the edge. Lift and gently stretch the dough over your knuckles until it is about 12 inches wide. Dust a pizza peel with semolina flour or cornmeal, then place the dough on top. If using parchment, place the stretched dough on a sheet of parchment paper.

Step 7: Top the pizzas

Spread half of the tomato sauce over the first dough round, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Add half of the torn mozzarella, half of the crumbled sausage, and half of the fried friggitelli peppers. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan and a little black pepper.

Keep the toppings fairly even and do not overload the center. A rustic pizza is best when the crust has room to puff and char lightly. Repeat with the second dough ball and remaining toppings, or assemble the second pizza while the first one bakes.

Step 8: Bake until crisp and bubbling

Slide the first pizza onto the hot stone, steel, or inverted baking sheet. Bake at 500°F for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating once after 6 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden, the underside is crisp, and the mozzarella is melted with lightly browned spots.

Transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Brush the crust edge with a little olive oil if desired, scatter with torn basil, and let it rest for 2 minutes before slicing. Bake the second pizza the same way. Serve hot, while the peppers are sweet and soft and the crust is still crisp.

Pro Tips

• Dry the mozzarella well: Fresh mozzarella contains a lot of moisture. Tear it first, then pat it dry with paper towels for the best texture.
• Drain the tomatoes thoroughly: Thick tomato sauce helps prevent a soggy middle, especially in a home oven.
• Preheat longer than you think: A pizza stone or steel needs at least 45 minutes at 500°F to help create a crisp bottom crust.
• Do not fully crowd the pizza: Sausage, peppers, and cheese should be scattered with small gaps so the dough can bake properly.
• Use parchment if you are nervous: Build the pizza on parchment and slide the whole thing onto the hot surface. Trim excess parchment so it does not scorch.

Variations

• Spicy version: Use hot Italian sausage and add 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to the tomato sauce.
• White pizza version: Skip the tomato sauce and brush each dough round with 1 tablespoon olive oil mixed with 1 grated garlic clove. Add mozzarella, sausage, peppers, Parmesan, and a pinch of oregano.
• Extra vegetable version: Add 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced, to the skillet with the friggitelli peppers during the last 3 minutes of cooking.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Leftover pizza keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat slices in a 375°F oven or toaster oven for 7 to 9 minutes, or in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until the crust crisps again and the cheese softens. Avoid microwaving if possible, since it makes the crust chewy.

To make the dough ahead, mix and knead it, then refrigerate it in a lightly oiled covered container for 8 to 24 hours instead of doing the 1-hour room-temperature rise. Let the chilled dough sit at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes before shaping. The tomato sauce can be mixed 2 days ahead, and the sausage and friggitelli peppers can be cooked 1 day ahead and refrigerated separately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 815 kcal | Carbs: 76g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Sodium: 1390mg | Cholesterol: 72mg