Sausage and Sweet Pepper Pizza with Creamy Vodka Sauce

Meet this Sausage and Pepper Pizza with Creamy Vodka Sauce from @theoriginaldish. It’s a delicious twist on a classic favorite. Topped with savory sausage, sweet peppers, and a rich, velvety vodka sauce, every bite is packed with bold flavor and comforting goodness. It’s cheesy, hearty, and totally satisfying.

Ingredients

1 (17.6-ounce) DeLallo Pizza Dough Mix, or 1 (17.6-ounce) package DeLallo Gluten-Free Pizza Dough Kit

1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage

1 pound sweet peppers, sliced ½”

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons butter

1 small shallot, minced

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup DeLallo Tomato Paste

¼ cup vodka

¾ cup heavy cream

1/4 cup DeLallo Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

½ lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

6 oz fontina cheese, shredded

fresh basil, for topping

Drizzle of DeLallo Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

Combine flour mix and yeast packet in a large mixing bowl with 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water. Stir with a fork until dough begins to form.

Knead by hand for 3 minutes, or until dough is soft and smooth. Transfer to a clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. (After this step, you can refrigerate for use within 1-3 days.)

Preheat oven to 450˚F. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Form pizza by hand on a lightly oiled baking pan or pizza stone.

Meanwhile, heat a 12” skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Once hot, add the sausage. Break up the sausage into small pieces and allow it to brown on all sides, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer the sausage out of the skillet.

Add another drizzle of olive oil. Add the peppers and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the edges begin to caramelize. Stir in half of the garlic. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the peppers are tender, 5-8 more minutes.

For the vodka sauce, heat a 12” sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter. Once melted, add the shallot. Cook for a minute until softened. Stir in the remaining garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Season with a good pinch of salt. Add the red pepper flakes and tomato paste. Stir well, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 5 minutes to caramelize. Return the heat to medium. Pour in the vodka. Simmer for about 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Stir in the cream. Bring to a gentle simmer for a minute or so. Turn off the heat and let cool.

Place a pizza stone in the oven (see notes). Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Once the dough has risen, divide it into two equal portions. Shape each portion into a 10” circle.

For each pizza, drizzle the dough with olive oil and rub to coat. Spread half of the vodka sauce evenly across the dough, leaving a ½” border for the crust. Sprinkle a tablespoon of parmesan over the sauce. Top with half of the fresh mozzarella (season the cheese with a pinch of salt), half of the sausage & peppers, and half of the fontina cheese.

Transfer each pizza to the pizza stone. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden.

Top each pizza with fresh basil and finish with more parmesan before slicing.