Chef John's Sausage and Egg Pizza

A pizza of cheese and sausage gets the delicious addition of lightly baked eggs for a treat that may change the way you eat eggs and pizza forever.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 649 Calories

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¾ cup pizza sauce
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 6 ounces hot Italian sausage, sliced
• 12 ounces unbaked pizza dough, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal, or as needed
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste (Optional)
• 6 ounces shredded Fontina cheese, divided
• ⅓ cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1 cup baby arugula leaves, washed and dried

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).

Step 2

Cook and stir sliced Italian sausage in a skillet over medium heat until some of the fat has rendered out and sausage is no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausage slices to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Step 3

Roll pizza dough out to about 12 inches in diameter and about 3/8-inch thick; sprinkle with cornmeal. Flip dough so the cornmeal side is down and transfer to a perforated 14-inch pizza pan.

Step 4

Spread pizza sauce in a thin layer on top of the dough. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and about 3/4 the Fontina cheese. Spread sausage slices onto the pizza, leaving 4 spaces about 3 inches across on the pizza for eggs. Sprinkle remaining Fontina cheese onto sausage slices.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until dough is hot, edges are starting to brown, and cheese has started to melt, 10 to 12 minutes.

Step 6

Crack each egg into a separate ramekin or small bowl. Remove pizza from oven and use a spatula to press the spaces between sausage slices flat. Gently pour an egg onto each space. Grind a little black pepper onto each egg yolk. Lightly sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over entire pizza.

Step 7

Return to oven and bake until eggs are set but yolks are still liquid, about 5 minutes, checking frequently to avoid overcooking eggs. Toss arugula leaves with olive oil in a bowl until coated. Remove pizza from oven, poke egg yolks with a fork, spread them around a little, and sprinkle arugula over the top of the pizza. Cut into 4 quarters, each with an egg, to serve.