Sausage, Fennel, and Ricotta Pizza

With Arugula and Mushroom salad

Ingredient

12 ounces refrigerated fresh pizza dough

1 (4 ounce) link Italian turkey sausage

1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup part-skim ricotta

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1.       Place a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in oven. Preheat oven to 500⁰ (keep pizza stone or baking sheet in oven as it preheats). Let pizza dough stand at room temperature, covered, while oven preheats

2.       Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casing from sausage. Add sausage to pan; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring to crumble. Add fennel bulb; cook 4 minutes or until tender

3.       Roll pizza dough into a 16-inch oval on a lightly floured surface. Carefully remove pizza stone from oven. Sprinkle cornmeal over pizza stone; place dough on pizza stone. Brush dough evenly with oil. Sprinkle sausage mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Combine ricotta and garlic in a small bowl; top pizza with teaspoonfuls of ricotta mixture. Sprinkle red onion and remaining ingredients evenly over pizza. Bake at 500⁰ for 11 minutes or until golden. Cut into 8 slices