Sausage and Mushroom Pizza

Pizza! Who doesn't love pizza? Pizza is probably one of the most popular foods we consume. Why? Because it's easy to make, it cooks fast and it is customizable. And I think it's the customazation why this Italian fare is so popular amongst us. In America, pizza usually falls into two categories: thick and cheesy Chicago style or thin and more traditional New York pizza style. I personally like the thin and more traditional New York pizza. But of course, I have been told that no pizza here in the states tastes the same as a real Italian Pizza from Italy. But, for now, we have basic ingredients available to us that can help us create our own masterpieces.

Mona Lisa Restaurant in Little Italy, San Diego has, what I think, the best pizzas in the area. Bronx Pizza in Hillcrest also has excellent New York style pizzas but since I'm a Red Sox fan, I don't visit this joint during the baseball season! One of Robert's favorite pizza from Mona Lisa was the Sausage and Mushroom pizza. Since Dia de los Muertos was yesterday, my husband and I made this pizza in honor of my brother. We placed a slice on his altar as an offering. Of course, we ended up eating ALL of it. The key to this great pizza is ground Italian sausage from your butcher shop and to not crowd the pizza with toppings. Sometimes the simplest toppings are the best ones on a pizza.

For one pizza you will need:

• 1 package of Trader Joe's Pizza Dough (or any ready-made dough)
• 1/2 Cup your favorite pizza sauce (we used Trader Joe's Pizza Sauce)
• 1 pint of white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage, uncooked
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1. 20 minutes before you start rolling out the dough, turn on the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Roll out the dough, as per instructions, and place it on a pizza sheet or stone. The dough does not have to be perfectly round.
3. First, top the dough with the pizza sauce. Use the back of a spoon to spread it around. Use as little or as much as you like. We used a little over a 1/2 cup.
4. Sprinkle about one cup of mozzarella over the sauce, then place the sliced mushrooms over it.
5. Finish by topping it with the ground Italian sausage. Leave clumps of it (see above picture)
6. Bake in the hot oven between 15 to 20 minutes. You will see the sausage cook and brown (see picture below). Once the edges of the pizza turn golden brown and the cheese is melted, your pizza is ready.

The fuly cooked pizza. Isn't it fabulous?

Serve pizza with a salad and a nice glass of Burgundy or Lambrusco wine.