Sausage, Fennel, and Ricotta Pizza

Dollops of ricotta cheese top crispy Sausage, Fennel, and Ricotta Pizza. Use a preheated pizza stone or baking sheet to ensure an extra-crisp crust.

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 2 slices)

Ingredients

• 12 ounces refrigerated fresh pizza dough
• 1 (4-ounce) link Italian turkey sausage
• 1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup part-skim ricotta
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Place a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in oven. Preheat oven to 500° (keep pizza stone or baking sheet in oven as it preheats). Let pizza dough stand at room temperature, covered, while oven preheats.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casing from sausage. Add sausage to pan; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring to crumble. Add fennel bulb; cook 4 minutes or until tender.
3. Roll pizza dough into a 16-inch oval on a lightly floured surface. Carefully remove pizza stone from oven. Sprinkle cornmeal over pizza stone; place dough on pizza stone. Brush dough evenly with oil. Sprinkle sausage mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Combine ricotta and garlic in a small bowl; top pizza with teaspoonfuls of ricotta mixture. Sprinkle red onion and remaining ingredients evenly over pizza. Bake at 500° for 11 minutes or until golden. Cut into 8 slices.

Mary Drennen, Cooking Light 
MARCH 2013

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