The toppings for this pizza are based on a classic Italian pasta dish, traditionally made with orecchiette. The small ‘ear-shaped’ pasta is tossed together with crumbled Italian sausage, red pepper flakes, garlic and cooked broccoli rabe. Simple yet wildly flavorful, I decided to top a store-bought pizza crust with the same ingredients, plus cherry tomatoes, a touch of balsamic vinegar, and creamy, fresh mozzarella cheese. Cooking the broccoli rabe down with an anchovy fillet is not a must, but it really does add a depth-of-flavor and inherent saltiness that melds beautifully with all of the other ingredients used.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Broccoli Rabe, Italian Sausage, & Tomato Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella
Ingredients:
- (1) 12-inch pizza crust, unbaked (either homemade or store bought)
- Olive oil, divided
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 anchovy fillet
- salt and pepper
- 1 head of broccoli rabe, stems removed, leaves and florets washed, dried and chopped
- ½ lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed–cooked stove top until crumbly and cooked through
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz. ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, torn or sliced
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- In a large, straight-sided saute pan heat 1 1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil along with the garlic, anchovy fillet, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often until the anchovy fillet has melted. Add in the prepped broccoli rabe and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a big grinding of black pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the greens are wilted. Add in the balsamic vinegar and cook an additional 2 minutes over low heat. Allow the mixture to cool a bit.
- Roll the pizza dough out onto a round pizza pan. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil, followed by the torn mozzarella cheese. Next, spread the cooked greens evenly over the cheese, along with the crumbled sausage. Next come the halved tomatoes and a grating of Parmesan or Pecorino cheese.
- Cook the pizza in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the crust is puffed and browned, and the cheese is melted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
Tagged: anchovy, balsamic vinegar, broccoli rabe, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, garlic, hot Italian sausage, Italian sausage, pizza, pizza crust, rapini, sausage
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