Swap the usual tomato sauce for a roasted red bell pepper sauce and discover a simple, creamy, and flavour-packed pizza topping — no cream required. This pizza with sausage and roasted red pepper sauce is quick to assemble, full of character, and perfect for an easy weeknight or a special pizza night.
Sausage is a naturally delicious pizza topping, especially when you choose good-quality Italian-style sausages that bring herbs and garlic into the mix.
I often experiment with sausage combinations — from sausage and rosemary, to spicy sausage with red onion and broccoli, to sausage with pear and gorgonzola. For this version I swapped the standard tomato base for a sauce made by roasting red peppers, tomatoes, and garlic, then blitzing them into a thick, silky sauce. The result is sweet, slightly smoky, and perfectly balanced when paired with salty capers and fresh arugula.
Other Ways To Use This Sauce
This roasted red pepper sauce is versatile and works well beyond pizza:
- Pasta — thin with reserved pasta water and toss as a sauce.
- Meatballs — coat meatballs in the sauce and serve in a ciabatta or over pasta.
- Chicken — spoon the sauce over grilled or breaded chicken.
- Calzone — use the sauce as the filling base for a folded pizza.
What Type Of Sausage To Use?
- Choose good-quality sausages (avoid anything under ~70% pork).
- Italian sausages are ideal for their herb and garlic notes.
- Spicy sausages also work well if you prefer heat.
Tip: For ease, remove the sausage from its casing and dot small pieces of raw sausage over the pizza before baking — they cook through in the oven.
How To Make Pizza With Sausage And Roasted Red Pepper Sauce – Step By Step
Start with a pizza dough of your choice. Use a traditional dough recipe if you have time, or a quick instant pizza dough if you need a fast thin crust.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Halve the red bell peppers and remove the white pith — use two average peppers or one large. Cut the tomatoes in half as well.
Arrange the peppers, tomatoes, and two cloves of garlic on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and roast for 25–30 minutes until soft and slightly charred.
When the vegetables are roasted, peel the garlic and add all the veg to a food processor or use an immersion blender. Blitz until very smooth and thick. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Tip: If the peppers have lots of black charred bits, remove the heaviest pieces before blending to avoid bitter notes. If you’re not using capers on the pizza, add a little lemon juice to the blitzed sauce to balance the natural sweetness of the peppers.
Increase the oven temperature to 225°C (425°F). Dust your baking tray or pizza stone with semolina flour or polenta to prevent sticking and help create a crisp base. Roll out the dough to fit your tray — either round or rectangular — and transfer it to the tray.
Spread a generous layer of roasted red pepper sauce over the dough, then scatter the sausage pieces, capers, and torn or sliced mozzarella. Bake in the hot oven for 7–10 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and the cheese is bubbling. Finish with a handful of fresh rocket (arugula) before serving.
If you try this pizza or any other recipe, please consider rating it and leaving feedback — comments are always appreciated. The roasted red pepper sauce is an excellent way to change up pizza night and to add a bright, smoky sweetness that pairs wonderfully with savory sausage, briny capers, and fresh greens.
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Pizza with sausage and roasted red pepper sauce
By Emily
Ingredients
For The Dough
- 1 batch basic pizza dough OR 1 batch instant pizza dough
For The Topping
- 2 sausages
- 2 red bell peppers
- 5–6 grape tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp capers
- 8.8 oz (250 g) mozzarella (about 2 balls)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch salt and pepper
- Small handful rocket / arugula
- 1 tbsp semolina flour or polenta (for dusting)
Instructions
Pizza Dough
- Make the dough using your preferred method: traditional basic dough or the instant thin-crust dough.
Pizza Topping
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Halve and core the peppers, and halve the tomatoes.
- Place peppers, tomatoes, and garlic on a tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season, and roast 25–30 minutes until soft and slightly charred.
- Peel the roasted garlic and blend the peppers, tomatoes, and garlic until very smooth. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Increase oven to 225°C / 425°F. Dust the baking tray with semolina or polenta. Roll out the dough to fit the tray and transfer it.
- Spread the roasted red pepper sauce over the dough. Top with sausage (removed from casing and dotted over raw), capers, and mozzarella. Bake 7–10 minutes until crust is crisp and cheese is bubbling. Finish with rocket (arugula).
Notes
- Recipe yields two large pizzas.
- Total time excludes rising time if making traditional dough.
- Use instant pizza dough if you’re short on time.
Using semolina flour
Semolina or polenta is commonly used to dust trays and pizza stones. It prevents sticking and helps create a crisp base; regular flour works too.
Roasting the peppers
Peppers should be slightly charred. Remove any overly burned bits before blending to avoid bitterness.
If not using capers
Capers add a sharp, salty contrast to the sweet pepper sauce. If you skip the capers, add a squeeze of lemon to the sauce to balance sweetness.
What type of sausage to use
Choose good-quality sausages (ideally ~70% pork or higher). Italian sausages are great; spicy varieties are a good option too. Remove the casing and dot raw sausage pieces over the pizza before baking.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I use extra virgin olive oil unless stated otherwise.
- Canned or jarred tomatoes: prefer reputable brands for better flavour.
- Vegetable sizes are medium unless noted.
- Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 51 g |
Protein: 19 g |
Fat: 20 g |
Saturated Fat: 5 g |
Cholesterol: 22 mg |
Sodium: 886 mg |
Potassium: 175 mg |
Fiber: 3 g |
Sugar: 9 g |
Vitamin A: 2040 IU |
Vitamin C: 79.4 mg |
Calcium: 230 mg |
Iron: 3 mg
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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