I love this pizza. It’s spicy and cheesy and sweet and just damn good.

The vodka sauce recipe makes about 2 cups of sauce. You’ll only need about 1 cup of sauce per pizza, so you can either make two pizzas, have delicious sauce leftovers, or cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients

For the spicy vodka sauce:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 6-oz can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons vodka
• 1 1/2 cups half and half (don’t sub for milk)
• 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes*
• Fine sea salt

For the pizza:

• 8-10 oz pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
• 1 cup spicy vodka sauce
• 1 cup freshly shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces
• 4 thin slices prosciutto
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
• 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, finely sliced
• Fine sea salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne powder (optional)

*Note: if you have a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, I highly rec grinding the red pepper flakes before adding them to the sauce in the recipe. They incorporate into the sauce much more evenly and give you a more consistent spice with each bite.

Directions

For the spicy vodka sauce:

1. Add the olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally until softened and translucent, approx 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
2. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the paste is a dark brick red color, approx. 4-5 minutes. Add the vodka and whisk constantly until most of the liquid is evaporated, approx 2 minutes.
3. Whisk in the cream and red pepper flakes until everything is well incorporated. Season with salt to taste (I normally start with 1/2 tsp). Remove from heat and let cool.

For the pizza:

1. Preheat your oven, with a pizza stone on the lowest rack, to the highest setting (typically 500 degrees) for at least an hour. Alternatively, preheat your pizza oven to 700 degrees.
2. Bring the pizza dough out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes before you’re ready to stretch it out. Let it rest on a floured countertop (or cutting board) under a dish towel to keep it from drying out.
3. When you’re ready to make the pizza, stretch out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10-12 inch round, allowing the dough to rest for a few minutes if it springs back. *Optional: I prefer to place the dough on parchment paper and then trim the excess paper off around the dough – I think it’s way easier to handle than cornmeal on the pizza peel.
4. Top pizza with the vodka sauce, using a spoon to gently smooth over the dough in a circular motion, spreading almost all the way out to the edges. Scatter the shredded and torn mozzarella and cheddar cheese evenly over the pizza, leaving a 1-inch border for the crust. Add the pineapple chunks, prosciutto, and serrano pepper.
5. Using a pizza peel or cookie sheet, transfer the pizza to the oven. For a standard oven at 500 degrees, the pizza will likely take 12-13 minutes. For a pizza oven at 700 degrees, it’ll take 5-6 minutes. Rotate 180 degrees halfway through so that the crust browns evenly.
6. Remove from oven and set the pizza on a cooling rack set on the counter. This is one of my biggest homemade pizza tips – it ensures that the crust stays crispy while it cools, and it doesn’t get soggy. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and the cayenne pepper (if using). Let it cool for a few minutes, and then cut and enjoy.