This easy pizza uses both Lindsay ripe black olives and Lindsay Naturals olives which are more buttery. The salty olives offset the natural richness of the sausage and spicy arugula brightens up the pizza. A drizzle of Lindsay’s Robust olive oil ties it all together. I used store-bought pizza dough making this pizza a great weeknight dinner but if you have a favorite homemade dough, feel free to use that instead!
Place a pizza stone, baking steel or large baking sheet the oven and preheat it to 500°F.
Make the sauce by placing olive oil and garlic in a medium saute pan. Heat on medium high, stirring frequently until the garlic starts to smell fragrant and sizzle, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add the basil, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if using) to the pan with the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
Stir in the tomato sauce and tomato paste and bring the tomato sauce to a simmer. Reduce heat to a low, and let the tomato sauce cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened and darkened in color. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
While the pizza sauce is simmering, place the sausage in medium sized skillet and turn the heat to medium. Cook the sausage, breaking it up into small bits with a wooden spoon, until it has browned and no pink remains. Remove from heat and let cool.
Assemble the pizza by first combining the flour and cornmeal in a small bowl with a fork. Sprinkle the flour and cornmeal liberally on a pizza peel (or a large wooden cutting board, rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet). Start to stretch the pizza dough into a flat round circle with your hands, then place the circle on the pizza peel (or whatever you are using), making sure there is enough flour cornmeal mixture underneath it to keep the dough from sticking. Using your fingers, press and pull the dough into a larger flat circle, about 14-inches in diameter. Shimmy the peel (or whatever) every now and then to make sure the dough is not sticking. If it starts to stick, lift up the dough in the problem area, and sprinkle more flour cornmeal underneath. Once the dough stretches out, start to assemble the pizza.
First sprinkle 3 ounces of the cheese over the pizza dough. Then carefully spoon and spread the pizza sauce over the cheese with the back of the spoon.
Distribute the cooked sausage and both olives over the top of the pizza evenly. Then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the toppings.
Now open up the oven, and, with one quick jerking movement, slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone/steel/baking sheet. You want to do this with confidence, as the pizza can sense your fear! Bake the pizza for 13 to 15 minutes long, or until the edges of the pizza dough are golden brown and the cheese on top starts to brown a bit. Pull the pizza out by quickly sliding the pizza peel under pizza. If you don’t have a peel, use the same surface you used to make the pizza on, and pull the pizza onto it with a spatula.
Finish the pizza cutting it into 8 pieces. Then add the arugula on top and drizzle the olive oil over the arugula and pizza top. Serve immediately.