Villaggio Pizza Recipe

Preheat Oven

Place a pizza stone or an inverted heavy baking sheet in the center of the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) for at least 45 minutes to ensure a blistered crust. If your oven doesn't reach 500°F, preheat to the highest temperature available.

Prepare Dough

Lightly dust a work surface with 2 tablespoons of the all-purpose flour. Stretch or roll the pizza dough into a 14-inch round, leaving a slightly thicker edge for the crust. Transfer the stretched dough to a piece of parchment paper or a well-floured pizza peel. Brush the outer 1/2-inch of the crust lightly with olive oil to encourage browning.

Spread the marinara sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border for the crust. Use about 1 cup of sauce; you can adjust slightly if you prefer a saucier or lighter pizza.

Evenly sprinkle the 2 cups of shredded mozzarella over the sauce, covering most of the surface but keeping the edges clear. Lightly dust the top with the grated parmesan (0.25 cups).

Cook the Italian sausage: heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 8 oz of sausage (removed from casing) and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Drain any excess fat on paper towels and distribute the cooked sausage in small clusters over the cheese.

Place the pepperoni slices evenly across the pizza, either laid flat or slightly overlapped. If you want crispier pepperoni edges, arrange half the pepperoni under the cheese and half on top so some bake directly against the hot stone/air.

Scatter the sliced green and red bell peppers (about 0.5 cup each), sliced mushrooms (1 cup), halved kalamata olives (0.5 cup), and optional thin red onion slices (0.25 cup) evenly over the cheese and meats. Ensure pieces are distributed so every slice of pizza will have a mix of toppings.

Season the assembled pizza with dried oregano (1 tsp), coarse salt (0.25 tsp), and freshly ground black pepper (0.125 tsp). Sprinkle red pepper flakes (0.5 tsp) if you want some heat.

Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone or inverted baking sheet. If using parchment, slide both onto the stone; remove the parchment after 4–5 minutes if you want a crisper crust (carefully pull it out with tongs), otherwise leave it on for easier handling.

Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the crust is blistered and golden and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Baking time will vary based on oven and stone temperature.

Remove the pizza from the oven and let rest on a cutting board for 2–3 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if using. Slice into 8 slices and serve immediately.