The Vegan Recipe

Preheat oven

Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) with a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet inside on the middle rack for at least 30 minutes. High heat gives a crisp crust.

Roast broccoli

Toss 1 cup broccoli florets with 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread on a sheet pan and roast at 425°F (220°C) for 12–15 minutes until lightly charred and tender. Set aside to cool slightly.

Roast red pepper (if using fresh)

If using raw red pepper, halve and seed it, place cut-side down on a sheet pan, roast at 425°F (220°C) for 20–25 minutes until the skin blackens. Transfer to a bowl and cover for 10 minutes, then peel and slice. If using jarred roasted red pepper, drain and slice.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup crushed tomatoes, 2 tbs tomato paste, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Stir until smooth. Taste and adjust salt/heat as desired. This yields a thick, bright tomato blend to use as the pizza sauce.

On a lightly floured surface dusted with 1 tbs cornmeal or flour, stretch or roll out the pizza dough to a 12-inch round (or desired size), leaving a slightly thicker edge for a rim.

Mix 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil with 1 tsp chopped rosemary and 1 tsp fine sea salt. Brush this rosemary oil around the dough edge and lightly over the base (not the center). This creates the rosemary herb crust flavor.

Place the stretched dough onto a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal or onto an inverted baking sheet if you don't have a peel.

Spread 3/4 cup of the tomato blend evenly over the dough, leaving the herb-crusted rim untouched. Use less or more based on preference but avoid over-saucing to keep crust crisp.

Sprinkle 1 to 1 1/2 cups vegan shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce as the primary 'cheese' layer.

Evenly distribute 3 oz crumbled vegan sausage across the pizza. If your sausage is raw-style, pre-cook it in a skillet over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until browned and heated through before crumbling on the pizza.

Arrange roasted broccoli florets (1 cup), sliced roasted red pepper (1/2 cup), and thinly sliced red onion (1/2 small onion) evenly across the pizza.

Scatter thinly sliced garlic (1 clove) and, if using, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika for an added smoky note.

Brush any exposed dough rim lightly with remaining garlic-infused olive oil (about 1 tbs) to promote browning.

Slide the pizza 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 vegan cheese is melted and bubbling at the edges. Bake time will vary by oven and stone heat.

Remove pizza from oven. Immediately sprinkle 1/2 tsp truffle salt evenly over the hot pizza, concentrating lightly near the center—truffle salt is potent so use sparingly.

Tear and scatter 8 fresh basil leaves over the pizza. Let rest 2 minutes, then slice into 8 pieces and serve warm.