- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, or more as needed
- 6 ounces (about 2 links) sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, chopped
- 1 cup arugula leaves
- 13 oz. pizza dough
- 1 tsp. cornmeal
- 1/2 cup tomatoes, drained and diced
- 4 oz. mozzarella
- grated Parmesan (optiona)
- fresh basil (optional)
Step 1
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Place a well-seasoned 12-inch cast-iron skillet, or other ovenproof, heavy-bottom skillet, in the oven. In another large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the olives and stir to combine. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir the arugula into meat.
Step 2
Stretch dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Using sturdy oven mitts, carefully remove the very hot skillet from the oven and place it on a heatproof surface. Sprinkle the cornmeal into the skillet. Carefully place the dough on top of the cornmeal and press the dough out toward the edges of the pan, being careful not to touch the very hot skillet. It’s okay if the dough bounces back a bit. Brush the edges of the dough with the olive oil, creating a 1-inch border of oiled dough.
Step 3
Spoon the tomatoes over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with half of the mozzarella, followed by the half of the sausage-arugula mixture. Repeat with the remaining mozzarella and sausage mixture.
Step 4
Return the skillet to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the bottom of the pizza is crisp and the cheese is starting to bubble. / Let cool on a wire rack for at least 3 minutes before serving. Using oven mitts to hold the hot pan, tilt the pan over a cutting board and use a spatula to gently slide the pizza onto the board. Sprinkle with Parmesan and fresh basil, if desired, then cut and serve. NOTE: If you don’t want to use the hot-skillet method, this pie can be baked on a sheet pan. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 and bake for about 35 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and the cheese bubbling.