Sicilian Style Pepperoni Pizza

I really love making our own pizzas at home... they really do taste great and are generally pretty easy to make. I still haven't found a dough I really like yet but I tell ya- Publix has great dough and its priced well. So if you don't want to make your own dough, see if your grocery store sells some. I find that turkey pepperoni is so much better than regular pepperoni for several reasons. First off, it is not greasy at all, secondly, it has a spicier flavor to me and thirdly, it's better for you! This isn't a true sicilian pizza but it has somewhat of the same characteristics (shape, thickness) without being too filling. I found the recipe in a Food Network cookbook and changed up a few things. Here's how we made it:

Mouth watering pizza

ingredients
• 1 lb pizza dough, at room temperature (let is sit out on counter for an hour)
• cornmeal & flour
• EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• Fresh basil leaves
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 3/4-1 cup marinara sauce (recipe follows)
• turkey pepperoni slices
• grated parmesan to taste
• Salt & Pepper
• dried oregano & crushed red pepper
• Pepperoncini's

directions
1. Preheat oven to 500º and make sure rack is in the center of the oven.

2. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured and cornmealed (is that a word?) counter - make sure your counter is clean! :)  Using a wooden rolling pin (make sure you flour it as well to prevent sticking) start working the dough until it is in a roundish-rectangular shape.

3. Dust a rimmed baking sheet with some cornmeal (this will help the crust get crunchy and prevent from sticking). Place dough on baking sheet and top with sauce. Then add half of the mozzarella, some oregano, salt & pepper, pepperoni & then top with the rest of the mozzarella. Drizzle with some olive oil.

4. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly browned. The crust should also have a golden crust on the sides and the bottom as well. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Chop up some fresh basil and sprinkle all over the pizza. Serve some tangy pepperoncini's on the side with each serving.

You can always use jarred sauce for pizza but it's really easy to make on your own. I make a bunch of it and freeze so I always have homemade sauce on hand if needed.

ingredients
• 14 oz can organic diced tomatoes
• salt, pepper, dried basil and oregano, to taste
• 1 onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• olive oil

directions
1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add oil. Once oil is hot add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the tomatoes, basil and oregano (I like to use fresh basil) and cook on low, covered for 20-30 minutes until reduced. Taste the sauce as you go... if it seems to bitter add a pinch of sugar.
3. It will be thick and hearty. If you like a smoother sauce, let the mixture cool for 10-15 minutes and pulse in a food processor until it reaches the texture you like.

This amount  will be good for 1-2 pizzas depending on how SAUCY you like it.

Enjoy!