Sausage, Red Bell Pepper, and Spinach Pesto Pizza

Swap out traditional red sauce for a rich, garlicky spinach pesto base then top it with melty mozzarella, savory crumbles of Italian sausage and sweet, tender strips of roasted red bell pepper for a bright yet hearty slice.

This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to recipe

Ask and you shall receive. On my last pizza post, many of you left comments to keep the pizzas rolling so here’s this week’s installment! This time I’ve made a recipe inspired by one I found on Bev Cooks awhile back. You make a pesto using spinach leaves for the sauce, and top it off with red pepper, Italian sausage and of course Mozzarella cheese. It’s a pretty fantastic little dance of ingredients. And they certainly look good together too!

Some things to note when making this spinach, red bell pepper, and spinach pesto pizza:

• If you would rather make a basil pesto for this pizza, by all means go for it. You could also use store bought but if you’ve never tried making it yourself it’s much fresher and more flavorful homemade.
• Yes you put the sausage on top of the pizza raw. I promise it will cook through safely.
• If you don’t have a pizza stone and peel you can assemble this on a round or rectangular baking sheet instead.
• I topped my pizza with homemade basil olive oil to give it more flavor and a pop of color. It’s optional, but the recipe can be found in the Easy Does It cookbook. I had some leftover from cookbook club and have been finding excuses to use it on everything.

By the way, is anyone shocked that I rate every pizza I make as 2-3 servings? Maybe I am just a fat kid but there’s hardly a pizza made in my kitchen that ends up producing more than 3 servings. Maybe I cut my slices too big, but I don’t care O:-).

Post updated 10/22/2026. Photo above is the original.

One year ago: Review: Just Tell Me What to Eat!

SAUSAGE, RED BELL PEPPER, AND SPINACH PESTO PIZZA

Print

Yield: Serves 2-3 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 cups baby spinach
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 pine nuts, toasted
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 recipe thin-crust pizza dough
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 lb. ground Italian sausage, divided into small pieces
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• Basil olive oil, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500 with a pizza stone* on the bottom rack. Allow stone to preheat for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a food processor add the spinach, garlic, Parmesan, pine nuts, and a pinch of salt and pepper. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin stream until creamy. Set aside.
3. Roll out the pizza dough and transfer to a cornmeal-dusted pizza peel*. Evenly spoon the pesto** over the crust, leaving an inch edge. Sprinkle the cheese on top followed by the raw sausage and peppers.
4. Shimmy the pizza off the peel and onto the stone and bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust is crispy and brown and the cheese is bubbly. Carefully remove from oven, let cool slightly, drizzle with basil oil (if using,) then slice and serve.

Notes

*If you don't have a pizza stone or peel, you can just assemble the pizza on a baking sheet. **You can also make/use basil pesto if you prefer.

Source: Adapted from Bev Cooks.