Sausage and Cambozola Pizza with Arugula and Grapes

This hot Italian sausage pizza, topped with Cambozola, ricotta, and Fontina cheeses, as well as grapes and shallots, is magical, and the roasted grapes add a savory sweet compliment to the three cheeses in the pizza.

I'm sure you're thinking, "grape pizza? That's weird!" Not so! Just think of it as artisan bread, wine, and cheese! You definitely need to give it a chance.

If they can put pineapple on pizza, there is no reason why we can't put grapes on pizza. I love being adventurous with pizza. After all, it's pizza! Be sure to click on my recipe index tab above the recipe and scroll down to the pizza section. I've got lots of adventurous and "jump-up-and-down" delicious pizzas with unexpected toppings.

"What the heck is Cambozola?" you might be asking. It's a blue cheese, a lot like Gorgonzola, but a lot creamier. Imagine if Camembert and Gorgonzola got married. That's Cambozola. It's perfect for a fruit and cheese platter. I was so excited when I found it at Trader Joe's! Rest assured, if you can't find Cambozola, you can easily substitute Gorgonzola.

I used red seedless grapes for this pizza, but I'd like to try it with the gorgeous black seedless grapes that are appearing in my grocery store right now.

Notes on the pizza crust:

For the crust, I used this overnight pizza dough, but instead if dividing it into 5 pieces, I divided it into 4 pieces, and used the other three dough balls for other pizza flavors. You can also divide the recipe in half to make just two pizza crusts. Alternatively, you can use any overnight pizza dough recipe you like. In a pinch, if you have a Trader Joe's, their white flour refrigerated pizza dough is pretty darn good. 

This month, the Bread Bakers are baking breads with grapes, and our host is Sneha of Sheha's Recipes. After the recipe, you definitely should check out the rest of the breads with grapes from our contributors. 

pizza, arugula, grapes, fontina, cambozola, gorgonzola,

Pizza

Italian

Yield: 6 first course servingsAuthor: Karen Kerr

Sausage and Cambozola Pizza with Arugula and Grapes

ingredients

• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil. 
• One pound of overnight pizza dough from this recipe, at room temperature (see note above for other pizza dough options, as well as portioning the dough). 
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 ounces Cambozola or Gorgonzola cheese, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 2/3 cup red seedless grapes, halved
• 6 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed, broken into 1/2 inch pieces, and lightly browned
• 4 ounces Fontina cheese, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced, and separated into rings
• 1 cup baby arugula

instructions

1. Bring your pizza dough to room temperature in a covered container. Place a pizza stone on the lowest rack of your oven and preheat it to 450 degrees F at least 45 minutes before baking. 
2. Place a piece of parchment paper on a pizza peel and spread 2 teaspoons of  the olive oil over the paper with a brush or your hands. 
3. Gently stretch the dough into a 13 inch round over the parchment paper. Do not handle the dough more than necessary. Prick the dough with a fork everywhere except the rim of the pizza. Brush the dough with the rest of the olive oil. 
4. Slide the dough onto the baking stone, parchment and all, and bake it for about 8 minutes, until light brown. 
5. Mix the ricotta with the salt and pepper. 
6. Pull the crust out of the oven, and spread the ricotta over the top. Sprinkle with the thyme, Cambozola, grapes, sausage, Fontina, and shallot rings. Slide the pizza back onto the baking stone, and bake until the sausage is fully cooked, the crust is crisp and browned, and the cheese is bubbling, about 10 to 14 minutes. 
7. Remove from the oven and scatter with the arugula. Serve immediately. 

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2018/09/sausage-and-cambozola-pizza-with.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

• Buccellato di Lucca from Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Cinnamon Raisin Bread from Food Lust People Love
• Cinnamon Raisin Rolls from Ambrosia
• Golden Raisin Walnut Bread from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Mini Raisins Buns from Sneha's Recipe
• Roasted Grape and Pear Kuchen from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Red Wine Rosemary Bread from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Sausage and Cambozola Pizza with Arugula and Grapes from Karen's Kitchen Stories

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.