Sausage, Ricotta, and Fennel Pizza

A pre-baked pizza crust saves time in this delicious recipe loaded with hot Italian sausage, sliced fennel, and dollops of ricotta.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 277 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• ¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
• ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
• ½ cup baby spinach leaves
• 4 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 (14 ounce) package prepared pizza crust
• ½ pound bulk hot Italian sausage
• ½ bulb fennel, thinly sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Step 2

Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have mostly broken down, about 5 minutes. Spread tomato mixture over the pizza crust.

Step 3

Heat the same pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Remove cooked sausage from the pan and set aside, reserving grease in the pan. Add onion and fennel to the pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and cook until leaves begin to wilt, about 30 seconds.

Step 4

Spread sausage and vegetable mixture over tomato-covered crust. Scatter dollops of ricotta cheese on top. Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and top is beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.