This pizza has just the right amounts of spice, saltiness, and cheese, and we doubled up on the pepperoni! Delicious – there never seem to be enough slices to go around! It’s been so long since we chatted about pizza, I’m so excited for this recipe! It’s very classic, but the sauce is made with something that makes it special and delicious. This pizza is great for busy nights but would be especially awesome for the upcoming Super Bowl. My inspiration behind the recipe. The last time I made pizza was a few weeks ago. Red and I were filming an upcoming project that we have coming out together. Part of the day was spent making pizza. Since Red is a newbie in the kitchen, we kept the pizzas very simple. He built his own with red sauce, chiles, cheese, and pepperoni. It was his pizza that we all loved most. And it reminded me that when it comes to pizza, most of the time, a classic slice of pepperoni cheese pizza is best. It’s really hard to beat. Fast forward to today – is it just me, or does the Super Bowl seem to be a bigger deal than most years now that Taylor Swift is dating Travis Kelsey? Somehow, she’s managed to up the game’s popularity even more! I’ve been brainstorming recipes for the Super Bowl. After seeing a lot of requests for a game day pizza instead of wings, I knew I wanted to make Red’s spicy pizza. This is exactly the pizza he made, and I think it’s one of my favorite pizzas. It would be the perfect Super Bowl pizza!
These are the details
Step 1: the dough I do make my own dough, but feel free to pick up your favorite store-bought dough. I love the options from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. They even have great gluten-free options too! If you want to make your own dough, I use the pizza dough recipe from the HBH Every Day cookbook. Just make sure your dough is at room temperature. This will make shaping your pizzas much easier. Step 2: the spicy tomato sauce Balance the heat and acid from the tomatoes with the tiniest amount of honey. Then season with salt and pepper. I also love to use a can of fire-roasted diced or crushed San Marzano tomatoes. This is another ingredient I grab at either Whole Foods or my local Kroger grocery store. Use whatever can of tomatoes you have readily available. Step 3: the cheese Now that the sauce is together, roll the dough out. Then spread on a few spoonfuls of sauce – you will have extra. Save this for another pizza or a bowl of pasta! Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and then add the cheese. I use a mix of mozzarella, provolone, and fontina. A wonderful Italian mix of melty cheeses. Step 4: finish with basil + pepperoni Arrange a handful of fresh basil leaves over the cheese, and then add the pepperoni. You can use as much pepperoni as you like. Personally, I love to cover the surface of the pizza with pepperoni. Never too much in my mind. As soon as the pizza comes out of the oven. Slice it, top with grated parmesan or more basil, and eat. The perfect pizza pie to serve for dinner or as something yummy to entertain guests with on game day. Looking for other pizza recipes? Here are some favorites Calabrian Chili Roasted Red Pepper Pizza Pull Apart Roasted Garlic Pizza Dip Sliders Pesto Pizza with Feta Stuffed Crust Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza Easy Sheet Pan Tomato Herb Pizza Pesto Potato Burrata Pizza with Spicy Arugula Lastly, if you make this Pomodoro Pepperoni Pizza, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
