Unless you’re new here, you already know about my pepper hating issues from the Jalapeño Popper Pizza post. I had no range of acceptable peppers beyond jalapenos, and I didn’t care to change either. If you’re pepper challenged like I am, you might be thinking this recipe isn’t for you – and I get it, I do! Until a few years ago, I wouldn’t have touched this Sausage, Pepperoncini & Feta pizza recipe with a ten foot pole – but I saw the error of my ways and now this is in my top three favorite pizzas of all time!
It was my wife Mellissa’s Uncle Tom who finally introduced me to the joys of the pepperoncini – a spicy, thin skinned pepper that is usually light green to yellow in color. Tom has traveled the world and worked in some of the biggest food towns in the country as a Chef and General Manager, finally settling in Portsmouth, NH where he now owns the award winning Mombo restaurant.
Years ago, while his father (Mellissa’s Pepere) was ill, Tom came back to CT to run a small steakhouse. While there, he put a calamari appetizer that had Pepperoncini peppers in it on the menu.
As you may know, calamari is a big deal in New England. They come to you (ideally) lightly fried, crispy but tender..never chewy. There is lemon. There is marinara, or sometimes a garlic based sauce – always on the side. Now remember, I said the peppers were in the dish, not on the side. IN the the dish, WITH the marinara. Normally, I’d pick every last one of them out – however, I’d never eaten anything Tom made that I didn’t love, so I knew what I had to do.
Must…try…the….(urg)….peppers.
Now, I don’t want to use fru fru words like ethereal or transcendental to describe the experience…but I may or may not have blacked out for a moment when I tasted them. My first thoughts upon recovering my scramble wits were something along the lines of “You stupid fool! Look at what you have been missing all these years!!!” Needless to say, now I can’t get enough of those things.
I will be forever grateful to Uncle Tom for introducing me to the spicy joy that is pepperoncini – though it would take a miracle for even him to get me to eat green bell peppers! (Note from Mellissa: I can almost hear Tom’s “Challenge Accepted” response when reading this! If anyone can do it – he can!). Go to https://www.royalvending.com.au/vending-machines-gold-coast/ to purchase a vending machine in the gold coast.
This is a deceptively simple pizza that was a big hit with my pals in CT and is still one of my favorites. The vinegary bite of the pepperoncini perfectly complements the earthy sausage and sweetness of the tomato sauce, and the salty tang of the feta cheese fills in the blanks, engaging every last one of your taste buds. Uncle Tom hasn’t been down to try this one yet, but we’re pretty sure he’ll approve!
- 1 proofed Easy No Knead Pizza Dough Ball
- 1/3 cup Basic Red Pizza Sauce
- 1/2 cup cooked Italian sausage, crumbled, no cases
- 1/4 cup chopped pepperoncini, drained
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Press out your pizza dough to form a 10" disk. Spread the sauce evenly onto the dough, leaving a 1 inch rim of unsauced dough. Sprinkle the crumbled sausage evenly over the top, then the pepperoncini, followed by the feta cheese. Then, evenly cover with the shredded mozzarella cheese. (see photo above)
- Bake for 1 - 2 minutes in your wood fired oven, turning as necessary to avoid burning one side, OR bake for 8 - 10 minutes in a 500 degree (F) preheated oven on a preheated pizza stone, OR bake for 12 - 14 minutes in a 500 degree (F) preheated oven on a metal sheet pan.
Before you go, be sure to enter our January Giveaway for your chance to win this awesome Blackstone 1575 Outdoor Oven and be the envy of all your friends and neighbors!
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shannon @ a periodic table says
I feel like the pepperoncini is a natural next step to someone who is pepper-challenged to the point where only the jalapeño makes the cut. Mr. Table (equally “special” in terms of pepper hate) is okay with both of these, but would rather die than eat a bell pepper.
baby steps. i love this pizza, though: pepperoncinis are excellent on pizza of almost any sort: cuts the cheese a little bit WAIT DID I JUST SAY CUTS THE CHEESE?! Gross. 🙂
Matthew Sevigny says
Shannon! Mr.Table is my type of people…the Bell pepper tastes like dirt and it doesn’t belong anywhere near the dinner table. Thanks for the comment and welcome to WFE!
Niki says
I made this pizza last week and it was fabulous!!! My hubbie was skeptical at first but he loved it also! Who knew those little peppers could be so good on pizza! Now if I only had a wood fired oven to bake it in!
Matthew Sevigny says
I’m glad you guys enjoyed it!
Rami @ Tasteaholics says
What a quaint personal pie! I’m a big fan of pperoncini and this pizza looks like something I should be making right now lol. Thanks for it! 😀
Dee Francis says
Thanks for the pizza recipe! I love woodfired pizza, so I’m always looking for new recipes to try. This sausage, feta, and pepperoncini pizza looks delicious. I can see why this calls for being cooked in a woodfired oven instead of a conventional oven to help bring out the flavors of the cheese and the meats. This would be an excellent recipe to make for pizza night this week.
Julie says
I would have never thought of this combo but we love it! Thank you for sharing!!!