Sponsored by Saxon Creamery

My friends, this pepperoni pizza is truly next level: it’s thoroughly infused with spicy, oily charcuterie thanks to that ‘nduja sauce. If you’ve never had it before, ‘nduja is a soft, almost spreadable salami. I mixed it into a tomato sauce, heavily perfumed with garlic and basil,
slathered it onto a semolina-coated pizza crust, and drowned it all with Asiago. This is a pizza that will satisfy your most animalistic carnivore desires.

This pizza is really flavorful, so the right mild cheese between the meaty sauce and pepperoni is key. My favorite pizza cheeses are young and semi-firm, like low-moisture mozzarella, fontina, and Asiago. These are all great melters, and they generally don’t get too oily when baked on top of pizza. For this pizza, I used Saxon Creamery’s Asiago Fresca™, a soft and buttery cheese that melts like a dream. The creamy texture also gets along well with juicy Italian wines. I like pairing this one
with a good Sangiovese, which can stand up to the charcuterie’s powerful flavors. Get yourself a pliable dough, and go to town.

Pepperoni Pizza with Asiago and ‘Nduja Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 pizza dough (Bobby Flay’s recipe does me right – make a bunch and freeze it)

• Handful flour for rolling

• handful semolina

• 2½ cups Saxon Creamery’s Asiago Fresca™, shredded

• 1 cup sauce

• Grated parmesan, to serve

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 cup basil, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped

• pinch salt

• 4 oz ‘nduja (spicy, spreadable salami)

• 2/3 cup canned tomato sauce

Equipment:

• Saucepan

• Rolling pin

• Pizza stone or sheet pan

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in the saucepan over medium., Add garlic and basil stalks, then stir for 2 minutes until golden.

2. Sprinkle in the ‘nduja and cook for a couple minutes until it starts to brown. 

3. Add the tomato sauce, 2/3 cup water, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate.

4. Chop basil leaves. Reserve a handful for garnish, and add the rest to the sauce.

5. Reduce to low and simmer until thick, about 20-25 minutes.

6. A little orange grease will render out from the sauce. Drain it out. 

7. Preheat oven to 450°F.

8. Sprinkle surface with flour and roll out the dough.

9. Drizzle pizza stone or sheet pan with a teaspoon of olive oil to evenly coat. Sprinkle with semolina.

10. Place dough on stone/sheet and bake for 8 minutes.

11. Spoon sauce onto the dough. Sprinkle with cheese, and top with pepperoni. 

12. Reduce oven to 425°F. Bake 18-20 minutes, until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. 

13. Garnish with reserved basil. Enjoy!

Notes:

• I recommend using the excess oil in vinaigrettes or drizzling on to scrambled eggs

Special thanks to Saxon Creamery for sponsoring this post and the