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Crispy Cast-Iron Skillet Pizza with Fennel, Sausage and Garlic

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cast iron skillet pizza recipe
Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen

It’s pizza night, but here’s the catch: You have 30 minutes and can’t order takeout. Sounds impossible? It’s actually not. Thanks to your cast-iron skillet and store-bought dough, this crispy cast-iron skillet pizza with fennel, sausage and garlic is within your reach—on a weeknight, no less.

Because this pie is cooked in a ten-inch skillet, it has a puffy, lofty crust akin to a pan pizza. (You can use a larger skillet, but the crust will be thinner and you’ll want to adjust the cooking time accordingly.) A few glugs of olive oil give it a golden brown, crisp exterior, and the whole thing bakes in about 15 minutes. We chose a topping combination of fennel and Italian sausage, but you can go as high- or low-brow as you please.


Ingredients

6 to 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

8 ounces store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature

⅓ to ½ cup pizza sauce or marinara

1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese

½ medium fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.

2. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When hot, crumble the sausage into the skillet. Cook until the fat has rendered and the sausage is browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. At this point, you can wipe the skillet clean, or leave the rendered fat if you want it to infuse the crust.

3. Add the olive oil to the skillet and swirl to coat. Carefully place the pizza dough in the skillet and use your fingertips to gently coax it to the edges. (If the dough resists, let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before stretching again.) Drizzle the surface of the dough with a little olive oil.

4. Return the pan to medium-low heat to brown the bottom of the crust, about 3 minutes. Spread the pizza sauce over the dough, followed by the cheese, fennel and garlic. Transfer to the oven and bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the cheese is bubbly, 13 to 15 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Nutrition Facts
  • 539 calories

  • 32g fat

  • 35g carbs

  • 27g protein

  • 4g sugars

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Note: The information shown is Edamam's estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

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Senior Food Editor

Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City...