Lasagna Pizza Recipe

Cook aromatics and brown meat

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté 3–4 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the Italian sausage and ground beef, breaking up with a spoon, and brown 6–8 minutes until no pink remains.

Simmer sauce

Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add 2 cups marinara sauce, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered 10–12 minutes to meld flavors and slightly thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm off heat.

Cook cavatelli

While the sauce simmers, bring 6 cups water to a rolling boil in a large pot and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the cavatelli and cook until just al dente according to package instructions (usually 6–8 minutes for fresh; time for refrigerated/frozen may vary). Drain well and return to the pot. Toss gently with a drizzle of olive oil if desired to prevent sticking. The cavatelli should hold shape because it will finish cooking briefly in the oven.

Prepare ricotta mixture

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup ricotta, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, and 1 large egg. Stir until smooth and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper. This mixture gives the lasagna-like creamy layer.

Assemble pizza

Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) with the pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet on the middle rack for at least 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, stretch/roll the pizza dough to a 12" round. Transfer to a pizza peel or an inverted baking sheet dusted with cornmeal/semolina. Spread 1/2 cup of the meat sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2" rim. Distribute the cooked cavatelli across the sauce in an even single layer. Dollop spoonfuls (about 6–8) of the ricotta mixture over the cavatelli and gently spread to create small patches of creamy layer. Scatter 1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella evenly over the top. Spoon remaining meat sauce in a few spots if desired for more saucy pockets. Finish with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella for extra melt on top.

Bake

Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or baking sheet and bake 10–12 minutes, rotating once halfway, until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling and slightly browned in spots. If your oven browns unevenly, move to top rack for the last 1–2 minutes to get more color.

Finish and serve

Remove pizza from oven and let rest 2–3 minutes. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over the top and scatter fresh basil leaves. Let sit 1 minute, slice into 6–8 slices and serve hot. Leftover slices can be reheated in a 375°F oven for 6–8 minutes to crisp crust and re-melt cheese.

If using refrigerated dough, let it rest at room temperature 20–30 minutes before stretching so it’s pliable. Dust peel or sheet with cornmeal/semolina to prevent sticking before transferring the stretched dough and assembling the pizza as directed above.