Sausage Pesto Pizza Recipe (2024)

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Written ByDorothy Kern

Published OnFebruary 3, 2023

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Homemade Pesto Pizza with sausage and mushrooms – this is an easy pizza recipe method. It’s cheesy and SO delicious – if you love pesto you’re going to love it on pizza.

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BEST Pesto Pizza Recipe with Sausage

Don’t you just love pesto pizza? How the juicy Italian sausage sits over the melted mozzarella cheese and the kitchen is filled with the aroma of basil. Best part? This pesto sausage pizza recipe has delicious variations and can easily be customized to your liking.

Enjoy homemade pizza week after week by switching up from the traditional tomato sauce to pesto. This simple recipe is one of my many favorite pizza recipes and will surely be yours too!

Ingredients Needed

Feel free to customize the pizza toppings, you can use more or less of what I used depending on your taste.

Italian sausage: You can use links and remove the casing, or buy bulk sausage.
Mushrooms: stems removed, diced
Recipe pizza dough: or store bought pizza dough
Pesto: my homemade pesto recipe or buy from the store
Mozzarella cheese: freshly shredded. You can also use a mix of both mozzarella and gorgonzola cheese for extra flavor.

Pesto Pizza Toppings

What makes mushrooms and sausage perfect for this pesto pizza recipe? The nutty, garlic, basil, salty flavor of the pesto pairs so well with the spicy Italian sausage. Mushrooms just add body and flavor; the earthy mushroom flavor pairs nicely with anything herbs and garlic. I also love this pesto pizza with caramelized onions!

Although I prefer the sausage and mushrooms on this pesto pizza recipe, anything pairs great with pesto!

How to make this Pesto Pizza Recipe

Prepare: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a cookie sheet, pizza pan, or pizza stone in the oven to preheat.
Cook: Remove sausage meat from their casings. Add olive oil to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until brown and cooked through. Drain fat and let cool.
Make: Roll out pizza dough to desired shape on parchment paper. (Dust with flour if needed.) Spread with pesto and sprinkle it with cheese, sausage, and mushrooms.
Bake: Transfer pesto pizza to the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes. Cool slightly before slicing and eating.

Expert Tips

To fully control your pizza ingredients, try this ultimate pizza dough recipe. It’s easy and you can make one thicker crust pizza or two thin crust, depending on what you’re craving! Win-win!
For an alternative and more “foodie” flavor combo try a combination of cheeses (mozzarella and gorgonzola).
To make this vegetarian, skip the Italian sausage and add other pizza toppings like red pepper flakes and fresh basil leaves.

FAQs

What goes with pesto on pizza?

Anything! I love Italian sausage and mushrooms on this recipe.

Can I use store bought dough for pizza?

You can! It’s a quicker way to make this recipe and equally just as good.

What’s the best way to reheat pizza?

Have You Made This Recipe?

Leave a rating by clicking the stars below!

Mushroom Sausage Pesto Pizza Recipe

4.60 from 5 votes

Mushroom Sausage Pesto Pizza – everyone loves pizza night! This easy dinner recipe has pesto for the sauce and it goes so well with the sausage and mushroom topping! Use a store bought dough or make my ultimate pizza dough recipe for the crust!

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Yield 8 servings

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Ingredients

▢ 2-3 Italian Sausage links
▢ 4 white or cremini mushrooms stems removed, diced
▢ 1 recipe pizza dough or store bought
▢ ½ cup pesto or more, to taste
▢ 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a cookie sheet, pizza pan, or pizza stone in the oven to preheat.
Remove sausage meat from their casings. Cook over medium-high heat until brown and cooked through. Drain fat and let cool.
Roll out pizza dough to desired shape on parchment paper. (Dust with flour if needed.) Spread with pesto (use up to the full jar depending on how much you want; I used about 3/4 of the jar). Sprinkle with cheese, sausage, and mushrooms.
Transfer pizza to oven and bake for 8-12 minutes. Cool slightly before slicing and eating.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

You can use more pesto than called for, if you prefer (or less).

Recipe Nutrition

Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Author Dorothy Kern

Other Pizza Recipes

No Yeast Pizza Dough
2 Ingredient Pizza Dough
French Bread Pizza
Ranch Pizza

We LOVE this recipe – it’s the perfect twist on a regular pizza recipe. Make homemade dough and top it with your favorite toppings!

Last Updated on February 3, 2023

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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9 Comments

I too, love pesto! I like to drizzle it over my regular pizza, in addition to many other ways to use it. But, I am too lazy to make it & after discovering the Costco brand, I never will!!! Need to make this sausage & pesto guy SOON 🙂
Reply
I’ve never tried flatbread – but I’m going to this weekend! And your homemade pesto.
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Yummy. I can’t wait to try this.
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oh wow that looks and sounds like heaven!
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My mouth is watering and stomach is crumping to relish it right now. Thanks for the recipe.
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I absolutely adore pesto! I could pretty much eat it with a spoon! I love it on pizza!
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I like Karen’s comment – she is funny! I’m so glad that you are posting dinner recipes now, since you are an amazing cook. Can’t wait to try this pizza with the pesto you recommended; my picky- eater daughter likes all these ingredients!
Reply
The size of a BASEBALL???? Where were you, the Congo???? OMG!!!!! I would die, and I would have made someone who was not me get off their butt and destroy that sucker. haha!
I looooooooooove pesto!!!! I never use it as pizza sauce, why, why? I’ll take an order of that perfume too, please.
Reply
It took me a few times to figure out if i liked pesto or not but it turns out i love it. This looks yummy! I like subbing the tomato sauce now and then just for a different flavor.
Reply
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