Potato & Italian Sausage Pizza Recipe

Preheat and prepare dough

Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while preheating. Lightly dust a work surface with 1–2 tbs flour. Stretch or roll the 1 lb dough to a roughly 12–14 inch round (or desired shape) about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper or a lightly oiled pizza peel. Brush the outer edge lightly with 1 tbs olive oil to promote browning.

Prepare the potato

Using a box grater or food processor with a shredding disk, shred the peeled medium russet potato. Place shredded potato in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze firmly to remove excess moisture. Transfer shredded potato to a bowl and toss with 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of coarse salt to season.

Par-cook potato (optional but recommended)

Bring a small pot of salted water to a simmer (about 3 cups water with 1 tsp salt). Add the shredded potato for 30–45 seconds to blanch very briefly, then immediately drain and spread on a plate to cool slightly and dry. This reduces rawness and helps crisping without making the pizza soggy.

Cheese layer

Evenly sprinkle 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella over the stretched dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border for the crust. Reserve 2 tbs mozzarella if you want extra on top. Sprinkle 2 tbs grated Parmesan over the cheese layer.

Top with shredded potato

Distribute the squeezed (and par-cooked, if done) shredded potato in an even layer over the cheese. Aim for a relatively thin, even covering so potatoes crisp in the oven.

Cook and crumble sausage

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Crumble the 8 oz Italian sausage into the skillet and cook until no longer pink and lightly browned, about 6–8 minutes. Add 1 minced garlic clove during the last 60–90 seconds of cooking and stir. Drain any excess fat on paper towel. Break into bite-sized pieces.

Assemble sausage and aromatics

Scatter the cooked sausage evenly over the potato layer. Distribute thinly sliced red onion across the pizza. Sprinkle 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried), 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste), 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 3/4 tsp coarse salt evenly over the top. If you reserved mozzarella, sprinkle the remaining cheese now to help bind and brown the toppings.

Bake the pizza

Slide the pizza (on parchment or peel) onto the preheated stone or baking sheet. Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, rotating once halfway, until the crust is golden and the potato edges are crisp and lightly browned and cheeses are bubbly. If your oven is less hot, bake 12–15 minutes and watch to avoid burning.

Finish

Remove pizza from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Immediately sprinkle 1 tbs chopped fresh parsley and 2 tbs grated Parmesan if desired. Drizzle 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil and optionally a very small amount (1/4 tsp) lemon zest to brighten flavors. Let rest 2–3 minutes, then cut into 6–8 slices and serve.

If you like, serve with crushed red pepper and extra grated Parmesan on the side. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days and reheat in a 400°F oven for 6–8 minutes to re-crisp the crust.