The Ultimate Sicilian Pizza with Scratch-Made Sauce

A rich, savory pizza that brings serious pizzeria flavor right to your home kitchen. The absolute secret weapon here is the sauce: melting down anchovy filets in olive oil creates a deep, flavor-packed base that pairs perfectly with sweet San Marzano tomatoes and a kick of red chili flakes. Topped off with a heavy-hitting lineup of salami, capicola, and prosciutto, this is a meat lover's dream. Pre-baking the store-bought dough is a great hack to ensure a crispy crust that holds up to the hearty toppings. Make sure to save the extra sauce for crust-dipping!

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour | Yield: 1 Pizza

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

 2 tbsp olive oil  
 4 anchovy filets  
 1 whole white onion, diced  
 4 cloves of garlic, minced  
 Red chili pepper flakes (to taste)  
 1 (28oz) can peeled San Marzano tomatoes  
 1 tsp sugar  
 1 tsp oregano  
 Salt and pepper (to taste)  
For the Pizza:  
 1 store-bought homemade pizza dough (like the one from Publix)  
 Mozzarella cheese, sliced  
 Pecorino Romano cheese, grated  
 Salami  
 Capicola  
 Prosciutto

Instructions

Part 1: The Flavor-Rich Sauce

1. Melt the Anchovies: In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and drop in the anchovies. Cover the pot and let the anchovies disintegrate, swirling the pot occasionally to help them break up completely into the oil.

2. Caramelize the Onions: Remove the lid, add the chopped onion and red chili flakes. Toss with tongs to ensure the onions are evenly coated in the anchovy oil. Let the onions cook down for about 15 minutes until they are soft and beautifully browned.

3. Add the Garlic: Toss in the garlic and let it cook for another 5 minutes until highly fragrant.

4. Crush the Tomatoes: Using your hands, crush the peeled San Marzano tomatoes directly into the pot, then pour in all the remaining juices from the can.

5. Simmer: Stir in the sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cover the Dutch oven and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to let the flavors meld.

Part 2: Pizza Assembly & Baking

6.  Pre-Bake the Crust: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Lay out your dough and lightly brush the edges with a little oil. If you aren't using a preheated pizza stone or wood-fire oven, place the crust on a sheet pan and bake for 5–7 minutes to ensure a solid, crispy bottom. Remove from the oven.

7.  Layer the Cheese: Lay the mozzarella slices evenly across the pre-baked dough.

8.  Add the Sauce: Using a ladle or large spoon, spread the homemade sauce evenly over the cheese. (Note: You will have leftover sauce—save this! It makes the ultimate dip for your pizza crusts).

9.  The First Cheese Dusting: Generously sprinkle grated Pecorino Romano all over the sauced pizza.

10. The Meat Layer: Evenly distribute the salami, capicola, and prosciutto across the top.

11. The Final Touch: Sprinkle a little more Pecorino Romano over the meats for a perfectly salty, cheesy finish.

12. Bake: Place the assembled pizza back into the 425°F oven and bake for 20–25 minutes until the crust is golden and the meats are sizzling. Slice and enjoy!

Homemade Pizza 🤌