Italian Sausage and Three Pepper Pizza

Pizza colorfully topped with chunks of sausage and a trio of sweet peppers

• Ready In: 1 hr 14 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  small green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch strips
• 1  small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch strips
• 1  small yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch strips
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
•  fresh ground black pepper
•  prepared  pizza dough (for 12 inch pizza, New York style pizza dough recommended)
•  unbleached bread flour, for dusting
• 1⁄2 cup  pizza sauce (New York-Style Pizza Sauce)
• 2  Italian sausages, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (mild or hot, about 1/2 lb.)
• 2  cups  coarsely shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1⁄4 lb bulk Italian sausage, separated into small chunks (mild or hot)
• 1⁄2 tablespoon  freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Position oven rack on the second lowest level in the oven and place a baking stone on the rack; position another rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat oven to 500°.
2. Warm the olive oil in a big nonstick skillet over med-high heat; add in the peppers and saute, stirring frequently for 4 minutes or until crisp tender.
3. Add in the garlic, oregano, cayenne, salt, and black pepper; stir/saute for 1 minute; set aside.
4. Coat a 12-inch pizza screen or perforated pizza pan with cooking spray; lay pizza dough on prepared screen or pan and gently stretch dough into a 12-inch round.
5. Spread pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border; evenly distribute peppers over the sauce.
6. Arrange the sausage slices over the top; scatter the mozzarella over the top.
7. Arrange the chunks of bulk sausage evenly over the cheese, pressing them into the cheese slightly.
8. Place the pizza in the oven on the upper rack; bake about 10 minutes or until the pizza crust is crisp and golden brown.
9. Using a pizza peel, lift the pizza off the screen or pan and place the crust directly on the baking stone.
10. Using the peel, remove the screen or pan from the oven.
11. Continue baking the pizza 3-4 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is golden brown.
12. Using the peel, remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board.
13. Sprinkle with Parmesan; slice pizza into wedges and serve.