SPRINGTIME PIZZA WITH ROASTED GARLIC SAUSAGE
INGREDIENTS
1 ball store-bought pizza dough (about 1 lb), at room temperature
1 cup prepared pesto sauce
1/2 lb roasted garlic sausages
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds
½ cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
2 cups fresh arugula or watercress
2 tablespoons green goddess dressing (store-bought or homemade)
olive oil
salt and pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
INSTRUCTIONS
Instructions:
Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 475°F. If you have a pizza stone or steel, place it in the oven.
Prepare the Sausage: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, breaking it up into little bite-sized pieces as you go until it’s browned and fully cooked through. Once done, transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Shape the Dough: On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll out the pizza dough into a 12-inch circle-ish shape (“A” for effort on this one, don’t beat yourself up if it’s not perfect). Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper for easy handling.
Assemble the Pizza:
Spread the pesto sauce evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edges for the crust.
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the pesto layer.
Distribute the sliced zucchini, sugar snap peas, and cooked sausage evenly over the cheese.
Lightly drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top and season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you enjoy a bit of heat, sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes as well.
Bake the Pizza: Carefully transfer the parchment paper with the assembled pizza onto a baking sheet or the preheated pizza stone/steel. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 10-12 minutes, or until the crust turns golden brown and the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned.
Prepare the Greens: While the pizza is baking, toss the arugula or watercress with the green goddess dressing in a mixing bowl until the greens are lightly coated.
Finish and Serve: Once the pizza is done baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a minute. Then, top it with the dressed greens. Slice the pizza into desired portions and serve immediately.