This easy pizza recipe is based on one of my all-time favorite sandwiches; the Spicy Italian Sub! Deli meat makes all the difference in this pizza.
One taste and I’m sure homemade pizza will make a regular appearance in your kitchen!
We are surrounded by really good pizza restaurants where I live. Some are just everyday pizza parlors and chains and some are upscale, gourmet pizza places. I like them all, our choice to have one over the other is usually based upon the collective mood that our family is in.
My favorite pizza place is called the Pizza Barn and it is in Pioneer Ohio. There is absolutely nothing special about it. The atmosphere is sort of divey with paneled walls and dated tables and chairs. But they make one hella good pizza pie!
From the crust to the sauce to the toppings, that pizza is spot on! There is a good chance I won’t make it up there to have Pizza Barn pizza again. That’s ok. This homemade Spicy Italian Pizza is pretty darn amazing if I do say so myself.
Before we talk about the recipe, let’s first answer the question, “are pizzas Italian?”
Pizza does, in fact, have Italian roots. It was and is a savory dish that consists of a yeast-based dough and is topped with tomatoes, cheese, and other ingredients. It is most often baked at high temperatures or in a wood-fired oven.
What Is A Spicy Italian Pizza?
This spicy Italian pizza has some of the same fillings that I love in my favorite Subway sandwich along with some other standard pizza toppings!
For this homemade pizza recipe you need:
Pizza Dough
Pizza Sauce
Italian Sausage
Deli Ham
Pepperoni
Hard Salami
Mozzarella Cheese
How To Make This Spicy Italian Pizza Recipe
I started this recipe with a frozen and thawed pizza dough. I have a favorite brand that can be found in my local Kroger store. In comes in a ball, it is nice and soft when it thaws and it is super easy to roll and bake.
You can either have a thin crust or a thick crust, the choice is yours.
Place your crust on your baking sheet or a baking stone.
Top your dough with your favorite pizza sauce or some gussied up on tomato sauce then begin layering on your toppings!
I used cooked and crumbled Italian sausage, a good deli ham, pepperoni, salami, and then shredded cheese.
The pizza won’t take long to bake. It should only take about 15 minutes in a 450-degree oven.
Tips On Making Spicy Italian Pizza
- First of all, if you have a favorite homemade pizza crust recipe, then, by all means, use that. I just have a storebought recipe that I love. It keeps things simple for me.
- Swap out the red sauce for olive oil and garlic or a white sauce!
- I love the spice and flavor the Italian sausage brings to the table, but you can use turkey Italian sausage, or even a tube, breakfast-type sausage.
- Use a high-quality deli ham, something with a lot of flavor, like a capicola ham.
- Use your favorite hard salami, hard, genoa, soppressata, or any other salami you can find and you like.
- You can add any other toppings that you like, deli turkey, bacon, prosciutto as well as the vegetables that you and your family prefer.
- Fresh mozzarella melts nicely and is a great way to finish off your pizza!
- To add a little more spice, top your pizza with red pepper flakes once it comes out of the oven!
This spicy Italian pizza is for meat lovers and it is all about flavor! This the kind of pizza that you can really sink your teeth into! It is as good as any “meat lovers” pizza out there!
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Jake says
I am very happy with this recipe, Thank you! = )