Johnsonville Sweet Basil Deep Dish Pizza
Servings
Prep Time
Cook Time
Johnsonville Sweet Basil Deep Dish Pizza
Like most traditional deep-dish pizzas, this recipe consists of a flaky crust garnished with bright red sauce, layers of cheese and vegetables. What makes it special? It’s smothered with the unique flavor of Johnsonville’s Sweet Basil sausage that covers the entire pizza, ensuring that every bite contains the perfect balance of crust, cheese, veggies and sausage.
Ingredients
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1 package (19 ounces) JOHNSONVILLE® Sweet Basil Italian Sausage or JOHNSONVILLE® All Natural Fresh Italian Mild Ground Sausage
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1 package (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust
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1 cup ricotta cheese
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3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
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½ teaspoon dried oregano
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½ teaspoon garlic salt
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¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
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3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
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2 cups chopped fresh spinach
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1 medium onion, sliced
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2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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½ cup pizza sauce
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3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
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1-1/2 cups shredded 6 cheese Italian blend
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Prepare sausage according to package directions. Cool slightly; cut coin-pieces and set aside.
Press crust onto and up sides of a greased 10-inch spring-form pan; brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake 15 minutes.
In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons basil, oregano, garlic salt, red pepper and Parmesan cheese; mix well and set aside.
In a skillet, cook and stir spinach and onions in oil for about 4 minutes until tender. Add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Spread ricotta mixture over crust; top with half of the sausage pieces, pizza sauce, 1/2 cup cheese, spinach mixture, tomato slices and 1/2 cup cheese. Set remaining sausage and cheese aside.
Bake for 25 minutes. Top with remaining sausage and cheese; bake an additional 5-10 minutes until sausage is heated through and cheese is melted.
Sprinkle with remaining basil; let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting.
Serve with crushed red pepper, if desired.
