Ciabatta Pizza with Pesto and Chicken Sausage

I love pizza in all of its forms, but the best pizzas are the ones that can be made easily and quickly at home! Here’s a recipe that provides a fresh take on the classic by ditching the traditional pizza dough, red sauce, and pepperoni for ciabatta bread, a fresh arugula-parsley pesto, and chicken sausage.

Retirement can be tiring! I mean, a brisk walk in the morning, followed by reading the papers, running errands, going out for lunch with Laurie, lounging in the pool while reading my Kindle, napping, and then sipping a cocktail while watching the sun set – who wouldn’t be exhausted with that rigorous schedule by the end of the day?!

So, I’m always trying to think up new dinner recipes that can be thrown together in less than an hour and are really simple to make as well. Homemade pizza is a reliable “go to” for a weeknight dinner, and buying store-bought dough definitely makes things easier. But even then, it can be a messy process to prepare the dough (does anybody else struggle to roll the dough out into the proper shape and then keep it from snapping back and shrinking – even when it’s at the proper room temperature?!). And it also takes some skill to cook the dough properly, so it’s crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside – I get it exactly right about half the time!

But anybody can toast a piece of bread correctly, right? So I thought, why not create a pizza that uses bread instead of pizza dough as the base? And if we’re updating the classic, why not change all the other ingredients as well to make something totally new and different? Challenge accepted!

I chose Ciabatta bread as the base for this pizza because it’s naturally crusty and somewhat flat, which makes it a perfect vessel for all the toppings to come! Next, I switched out the traditional pizza sauce for a pesto. Now most pesto is made with basil, which I love, but it has an extremely strong flavor of anise which can be overpowering even in small amounts. So I decided to substitute arugula for the basil, and then added Italian parsley to temper the peppery flavor of the arugula.

For the meat topping, I chose pre-cooked chicken sausage from the store – any brand or flavor will do, but our favorite by far is Amylu Chicken Sausage (their Cacio e Pepe is the bomb, but their Roasted Garlic & Asiago or their Tomatillo, Peppers, and White Cheddar are also fantastic). I finished off the pizza with a Scamorza Italian cheese, which is a semi-soft cheese that tastes like a cross between mozzarella and provolone. It’s distinctive nutty and slightly smoky flavor is more interesting and tasty than your traditional and somewhat bland fresh mozzarella.

What’s great about this bread pizza is that you can make it your own by choosing any sauce, meat, vegetable, and cheese toppings that you like – but I’d encourage you to try something new and different and to experiment with combinations you haven’t tried before to create your own classic pizza! I’m anxious to hear how you adapted this recipe to make it your own – let me know!

Ciabatta Pizza with Arugula-Parsley Pesto and Chicken Sausage (Serves 4-6)

This is a rustic take on your traditional pizza pie. The crispy ciabatta crust provides the perfect base for a bright and mild pesto sauce, sauteed chicken sausage, and a nutty, complex Italian cheese to top everything off.  Serve with a light and refreshing glass of Vermentino white wine from Italy.

Ingredients

1 loaf ciabatta, sliced in half lengthwise

6 tbsp. salted butter

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

12 oz. pre-cooked chicken sausage (our favorite is Amylu Cacio e Pepe, but any store-bought brand will do)

8 oz. grated Scamorza Italian cheese (you can substitute a blend of grated mozzarella and provolone if you can’t find Scamorza)

1 recipe Arugula-Parsley Pesto (see below)

Kosher salt to taste

Directions

Spread the butter on each half of the ciabatta loaf; then sprinkle with the garlic powder and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until browned on all sides, about 8-10 minutes Let cool, and then slice into 1/4-inch rounds.

Spread a thin layer of arugula-parsley pesto over each half of the ciabatta (you will have extra pesto left over – it will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days and can be used for sandwiches or as a pasta sauce). Add the sliced sausages, and then top with the grated cheese.

Place the ciabatta pizza halves on a baking sheet and either toast in a toaster oven or bake in a 400-degree oven for about 10-minutes or until bread is a bit crusty and cheese is lightly browned and bubbling. Cut into 2-inch thick slices and serve hot. 

Arugula-Parsley Pesto (Makes about 1 cup)

This is a great milder alternative to the intense flavors of the traditional basil pesto we are all familiar with. The addition of parsley with the arugula tempers the peppery spice of the pesto a bit, and the addition of lemon juice brightens everything up and rounds out all the flavors. Try this pesto as the sauce for a homemade pizza or a quick weeknight pasta meal with grilled chicken sausage and sauteed mushrooms. 

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, chopped

¼ cup toasted walnuts

1 cup tightly packed baby arugula

1 cup tightly packed Italian parsley

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. lemon juice

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Toast the walnuts in a small pan over medium-low heat until lightly browned and fragrant, about 8-10 minutes.

Place the garlic and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chopped fine. Scrape from the sides of the bowl. Add the arugula, parsley, salt, and lemon juice and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped. With the processor turned on, slowly add the olive oil until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides if necessary and add the parmesan cheese – blend until fully incorporated.

Pesto can be made up to 24 hours ahead – store in an airtight container with a thin layer of olive oil drizzled on top to maintain the bright color of the pesto.