Penne Pizza with Marinara, Fresh Mozzarella, and Parmesan Cheese
Why put pasta in a bowl when you can eat it on a pizza slice? This penne pizza is the ultimate comfort food, topped with al dente pasta, marinara sauce, and mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, and finished with chile oil and fresh parsley.
Makes: 1 (12- to 14-inch) pizza
Cost: $10
Equipment
- Large pot
- Strainer
- Cutting board and knife
- Rolling pin (optional)
- Large rimmed baking sheet or baking stone/steel
- Pizza peel (optional)
Ingredients
- 6 ounces penne pasta
- ⅔ to ¾ cup Super-Easy Marinara Sauce (or your favorite store-bought marinara)
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough
- 3 tablespoons prepared pesto
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into ½-inch cubes
- ¼ cup finely shredded parmesan
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- chile-and-garlic-infused olive oil, (such as Cardenas), for finishing (or make your own; see instructions in the post above)
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.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions (about 5 minutes). As soon as the pasta reaches al dente texture, drain it in a colander and rinse it under cold running water. Spread the pasta on a clean dish towel or a layer of paper towels and pat it dry.
- Transfer the pasta to a medium bowl, add the sauce, and toss well to coat the pasta.
- Stretch or roll out your dough to a 12- to 14-inch circle, then transfer it to a baking sheet / pizza pan or a lightly floured pizza peel (if using a baking stone/steel).
- Spoon the pesto onto the dough, and use a pastry brush to spread it all the way to the edges of the dough. Spread the pasta on top in an even layer, then scatter on the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese and pasta have 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 it generously with garlic-and-chile-infused olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the chopped fresh parsley. Slice and serve.