Meatball Pie Recipe

In a small bowl, combine warm water (about 105–115°F), sugar and yeast. Stir and let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.

In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, whisk flour and salt. Add the foamy yeast mixture and olive oil.

Mix on low until dough comes together, then increase speed and knead about 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. If dough is sticky, add up to 2 tablespoons flour; if too dry, add 1 tablespoon water.

Form dough into a ball, coat lightly with oil, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 1.5 hours.

Punch down dough, divide in half if making two smaller pies or keep whole for one large pie. Let rest 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C) with a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the middle rack. If using a deep-dish pan, preheat to 425°F (220°C).

On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll dough to a 12–14 inch circle (or to fit your deep-dish pan). Transfer to a sheet dusted with cornmeal or to an oiled deep-dish pan, pressing dough up the sides to form a rim if desired.

Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until translucent, 4–5 minutes.

Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute to remove raw flavor.

Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, sugar, salt and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 20–25 minutes to slightly thicken, stirring occasionally.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Reserve about 1.5 to 2 cups for assembling one large pie (more if you like it saucier).

In a small bowl, soak breadcrumbs in milk for 3–5 minutes until absorbed. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, soaked breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, chopped parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper.

Mix gently with your hands or a fork until just combined. Overworking will make meatballs dense.

Form mixture into golf-ball-sized meatballs (about 1.25–1.5 inches) — you should get roughly 12–16 balls depending on size.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear meatballs in batches, turning to brown all sides, about 6–8 minutes total. They do not need to be fully cooked through.

Transfer seared meatballs to the simmering tomato sauce and simmer gently for 12–15 minutes until cooked through (internal temp 160°F/71°C). Remove meatballs with a slotted spoon and reserve about 1 cup of sauce with them for assembly; return remaining sauce to the pot if serving extra.

Lower oven to 450°F (230°C) if using a pizza stone; if using a deep-dish pan keep at 425°F (220°C).

Spread a thin layer (about 1/4–1/3 cup) of the house sauce over the stretched dough, leaving a 1/2-inch rim.

Evenly distribute shredded low-moisture mozzarella over the sauce, then arrange the cooked meatballs over the cheese. If meatballs are large, slice them in half so they nestle into the pie.

Tuck torn or sliced fior di latte (fresh mozzarella) pieces between and on top of the meatballs for gooey pockets of fresh cheese.

Spoon about 3/4 to 1 cup of reserved sauce over the top of the meatballs and cheese so the pie remains saucy but not overloaded.

Sprinkle shredded Parmesan evenly over the pie.

Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or place the deep-dish pan on the middle rack. Bake stone pizza 12–15 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling. For deep-dish pan bake 18–25 minutes until set and golden.

If the crust edges brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.

Remove pie from oven and let rest 5–7 minutes to set. Sprinkle finely chopped fresh parsley over the top before slicing.