Sausage Pizza with Spinach Salad

Elevate the classic sausage pizza by pairing it with a refreshing spinach salad, creating a unique and delicious flavor combination.

Ingredients for Sausage Pizza with Spinach Salad:

1 pound pizza dough at room temperature
All-purpose flour for dusting
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 cups baby spinach (about 21/2 ounces)
1 small bulb fennel, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
3/4 cup quartered marinated artichoke hearts, drained and halved
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Red pepper flakes for topping

Prepare the pizza: Start by preheating your oven to 475 degrees F and placing an inverted baking sheet or pizza stone on the lowest rack. Next, stretch the pizza dough into an 11-by-15-inch rectangle on a floured piece of parchment paper. Trim any excess paper around the dough. Transfer the dough (on the parchment) to a pizza peel or another inverted baking sheet and slide the dough and parchment onto the hot baking sheet. Bake until browned in spots, 10 to 12 minutes.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven. Spread the ricotta on top, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle with the mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan; top with the sausage and garlic. Return the pizza to the oven and bake until the cheese is bubbling 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the oregano.
Make the salad: Soak the red onion in ice water, then drain. Toss the spinach, fennel, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and red onion in a large bowl with vinegar and olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
Top the pizza with the salad and cut it into pieces. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

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