1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (or hot sausage if you prefer)
½ cup fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 pound fresh spinach leaves, stemmed, washed, torn into small pieces and drained, or can substitute 1- 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained
3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano, plus extra to sprinkle over dough
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil
4 ounces mozzarella cheese
Instructions
To make pizza dough (* or use your favorite recipe or all ready prepared pizza dough). In a small bowl combine the yeast with ½ cup warm water (105 to 110 degrees F), and the sugar. Set aside until the mixture looks bubbly, about 4 to 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl combine salt, oil, and remaining ½ cup warm water. When the yeast mixture is bubbly, add it to the other ingredients and stir.
Add about 2-3/4 cups flour, mixing well until the dough looks elastic and forms a ball. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead about 10 minutes; add extra flour if necessary, working until the dough is no longer sticky and feels smooth to the touch.
Rinse out the large bowl, dry it, and add about 1 Tablespoon of oil.Turn the dough ball in the oil, then cover with a piece of wax paper, and set in a warm place to rise about one hour or until doubled in bulk.
Prepare the filling while the dough rises: First chop the sausage meat, then place in a large frying pan over medium heat, stirring, until browned. Add the chopped mushrooms and green onions and saute for a few minutes more. Add spinach and stir until it wilts (or stir in frozen thawed spinach), and stir to combine. Stir in the Parmesan and 1 teaspoon oregano; taste for salt and pepper.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. When dough is ready and using half of the prepared dough, roll out on a lightly floured board and press with your fingers to make a rectangle, roughly 12-by-10-inches. Set the dough on an oiled baking sheet and pat to re-form the dough.
Spread the filling over half the dough in a lengthwise strip. Top with the mozzarella cheese, which can be shredded or sliced as you prefer. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling and pinch edges together to seal. Twist or flute, or press edges with a fork dipped in flour.
Brush olive oil over the top, then sprinkle with some oregano, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Cut several diagonal slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until it turns a rich golden brown. Serve hot.
Note: the other half of the pizza dough can be wrapped and frozen for future use.
Recipe by The Culinary Cellar at https://theculinarycellar.com/recipes-as-easy-as-pie/