Description
This Crispy Meatball Pizza is a delicious way to transform leftovers into a crispy, golden homemade pizza topped with mozzarella, fragrant oregano, fennel seeds, and a hint of chili flakes. Perfect for a quick dinner, it features a crispy base and savory toppings baked to perfection in a hot oven, served alongside a fresh green salad.
Ingredients
Scale
Pizza Base
- 400g shop-bought or homemade pizza dough, defrosted if frozen
- Plain flour, for dusting
Toppings
- 200g leftover sauce (tomato-based pizza or pasta sauce)
- 150g grated mozzarella
- 20 leftover meatballs, whole or roughly chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle
- Small handful of green olives, roughly chopped
To Serve
- Green salad
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: Leave the pizza dough at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow it to relax and become easier to stretch. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 240°C (220°C fan)/gas mark 9.
- Roll and Shape the Dough: Lightly dust a clean work surface, your rolling pin, and the largest baking tray you have with some plain flour. Roll out the dough and stretch it carefully so it just fits your baking tray. Transfer the rolled dough to the tray and gently push it into the corners, ensuring an even base.
- Add Sauce and Cheese: Spread the leftover sauce evenly over the dough base. Scatter most of the grated mozzarella over the sauce, reserving some for topping.
- Prepare the Meatball Topping: In a bowl, combine the whole or roughly chopped meatballs with dried oregano, fennel seeds, chilli flakes (if using), and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to coat the meatballs evenly with the herbs and spices.
- Assemble the Pizza: Spoon the seasoned meatballs evenly over the mozzarella-covered sauce. Scatter the roughly chopped green olives on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over the finished pizza for added crispness and flavor.
- Bake Until Crispy: Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for about 12 minutes, or until the pizza base is crispy, golden, and the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown.
- Serve: Remove the pizza from the oven and cut into wedges. Serve immediately with a fresh green salad on the side for a balanced and satisfying meal.
Notes
- Ensure the dough is at room temperature before rolling to make stretching easier.
- You can use store-bought or homemade pizza dough; just make sure it is defrosted if frozen.
- Leftover sauce can be a tomato-based pasta or pizza sauce for best flavor.
- Adjust the amount of chilli flakes according to your spice preference.
- If you don’t have fennel seeds, you can omit them or substitute with a pinch of aniseed.
- For an extra crispy base, pre-bake the dough for 5 minutes before adding toppings (optional).
- Serve with a light green salad to complement the richness of the pizza.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Crispy meatball pizza, leftover meatballs recipe, homemade pizza, easy pizza recipe, Italian pizza, pizza with meatballs
