Genoa salami pizza is better than pepperoni pizza. There, I said it. And once you give this week's pizza a try, with green olives, sweet pepper, and fennel, I think you'll agree.
Genoa salami, a cured sausage usually made with pork and seasoned with garlic, pepper, and red wine, is softer than other salamis and can be found thinly sliced in the deli sections of most grocery stores. It has a bigger circumference than pepperoni, meaning larger slices, and the flavor is nuanced with a touch of sweetness that complements just about any vegetable you pair it with. Unlike pepperoni pizza, which can be a little spicy, Genoa salami pizza appeals to kids and adults alike. Add a tasty tomato sauce, some cheese, and a few choice toppings, and you've got the perfect meat pizza for any taste.
To allow for the ultimate harmony of flavors, I gave this salami pizza a base of rich, slow-simmered New York Style Pizza Sauce, then added green olives, thinly sliced fennel and sweet pepper, and some grated mozzarella. The result has everything you want in a meat pizza: a mix of crunchy, chewy, and soft textures; a balance of sweet, salty, umami, and tangy flavors; and lots of cured meat in every bite.
Looking for more meat pizzas? Here are some of my faves:
- Sweet-Hot Pepperoni Pizza with Broccoli Rabe
- Hawaiian Pizza
- Bacon and Jalapeño Pizza
- Pumpkin, Sausage, and Sage Pizza
- Chicken, Mushroom, and Sage Pizza
- French Dip Pizza
- Muffuletta Calzone
Genoa Salami, Pepper, Fennel, and Olive Pizza
Equipment
- Cutting board and knife
- Rolling pin (optional)
- Pizza peel (optional)
- Large rimmed baking sheet or baking stone/steel
- Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough
- ⅔ to ¾ cup Slow-Simmered Pizza Sauce (or your favorite pizza sauce)
- 6 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, shredded (about 1½ cups)
- 1 medium sweet frying pepper or small bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin rounds
- ¼ bulb fennel, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup pitted green olives, sliced
- 2 ounces sliced Genoa salami (about 8 slices)
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (if using a baking sheet) or as high as it will go (if using a baking stone/steel; place the stone/steel in the bottom third of the oven before you start preheating). Let the oven preheat for at least 30 minutes. Then, if you’re using a baking stone or steel, switch the oven to Broil on high.
- Stretch or roll out your dough to a 12- to 14-inch circle, then transfer it to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet or a lightly floured pizza peel (if using a baking stone/steel).
- Spoon the sauce onto the dough and spread it out evenly, leaving a ½-inch border all around. Top with half of the cheese, then the sweet pepper, fennel, and olives. Arrange the salami slices in a single layer, then finish with the remaining cheese.
- Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese has browned in spots—8 to 10 minutes on the baking sheet, 6 to 8 minutes on the baking stone/steel.
- Remove the pizza from the oven. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with a grind or two of black pepper, if desired. Slice and serve.
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