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a slice of pizza amatriciana with cauliflower on white plates
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5 from 4 votes

Pizza Amatriciana

Whether you make it round, crisp, and thin-crusted or on a sheet pan with thick crust and cauliflower, pizza Amatriciana — modeled, if loosely, after the umami-filled pasta sauce — is a dream come true. And it's ready in under an hour.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Pizza
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4
Calories: 460kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (227 grams) thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
  • 6 garlic cloves chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves optional
  • 1 small head cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons cornmeal for dusting
  • 1 ball homemade or store-bought pizza dough see note for size
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil
  • 1 cup (240 ml) thick tomato sauce
  • 6 ounces (170 grams) low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • ½ cup (60 grams) grated pecorino or parmesan
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Balsamic glaze

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 500°F with a rack in the center. Preheat a pizza stone on the center rack if you have one.
  • In a 12-inch skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and set aside.
  • Drain off all but one tablespoon fat from pan.
  • Return pan to medium heat and add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sage if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in cauliflower, if using, along with ¼ cup water. Cover and cook until tender, 5-10 minutes. Skip this step if not using cauliflower.
  • Meanwhile, sprinkle the cornmeal onto a rimmed half sheet pan or pizza peel. rub the olive oil over the pizza dough and stretch dough to cover a half sheet pan.
  • Spread sauce over dough and sprinkle with mozzarella.
  • Spread cauliflower mixture evenly over pizza and sprinkle with pecorino.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes, until crust is done and cauliflower has some nice charred spots.
  • Sprinkle pizza with reserved bacon and some flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.
  • Cut into slices and serve right away.

Notes

  1. Amatriciana sauce is traditionally made with guanciale, but on this pizza I like to use thick-cut bacon. I like the smoky flavor, and we usually have some in the fridge.
  2. For the pizza dough, make your own New York-style dough for a thin crust cooked directly on a pizza stone (best without cauliflower, or with cauliflower added after baking), or buy a ball of your favorite dough. For a sheet pan pizza, use a dough ball weighing about 22 ounces/625 grams, or one whole recipe of our crust. For a thinner-crust pizza cooked right on a pizza stone, use half that amount.
  3. When making pizza, I like to use a thick tomato sauce so things don't get too watery. Our pomodoro sauce fits the bill, or you can use a thinner jarred sauce mixed with some tomato paste.
  4. I've called for chopped fresh sage because it complements cauliflower so well. It's optional and doesn't really have anything to do with Amatriciana. I sometimes substitute a bit of chopped fresh rosemary, or a pinch of herbes de Provence, or omit this element entirely.
  5. Use good old low-moisture mozzarella in the blocks from the supermarket.
  6. Use pecorino, parmesan or a combination. Pecorino (made with sheep's milk) is a little bit saltier and tangier, and it's a traditional component of Amatriciana. Parmesan is a bit sweeter.
  7. The cauliflower is optional, though truly delicious. I've pictured orange cauliflower here, but you can 100% use the white stuff. It weighs a ton, so if you plan to use it, either cook the pizza on a sheet pan using a thicker crust, or add it to a thin-crust pie after baking.
  8. The crust won't get as crispy on a sheet pan as it does directly on a pizza stone, but a slightly softer crust can be a delicious and convenient option some nights.
  9. You can cook the bacon and cauliflower up to a few days in advance if you like. Make the pizza right before serving.
  10. Leftovers will keep in the fridge or up to a week. Reheat in a toaster oven or 300°F oven, or eat them cold if you're into that sort of thing.
I first published this recipe here in 2017 and have updated the post and the recipe for clarity.

Nutrition

Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 22.8g | Fat: 17.5g | Fiber: 3.1g