Arugula Salami Pizza

^{This post has been sponsored by Miller's. All opinions expressed are my own.}

My comfort food of choice is a good pizza- one that's hearty, packed with big and bold flavors, and unabashedly extra. Today's Arugula Salami Pizza features a crispy crust piled high with three different cheeses, olives, grilled garlic, thin-sliced pepperoni, and, of course, some chili sauce goodness courtesy of our good friends over at Miller's Hot Sauce. This is a pizza even the hungriest of Game Day crowds will love.

What's more, this pizza is a beautiful blend of flavors, with the Colby Jack playing deliciously with the Miller's Hot Sauce, while the mix of grilled garlic, mozzarella, and capers is a match made in heaven.

Best of all, like any good pizza recipe, this one couldn't be easier to prepare, making it ideal for relaxed game day get-togethers. Now, without further introduction, let's make some pizza.

Arugula Salami Pizza - What to Expect

Taste and Texture

Bold Mediterranean flavors, with some pleasant chili heat courtesy of Miller's Banana Pepper Sauce, which kicks this pizza up a few notches beyond typical game day fare. Grilled garlic brings some sweet and smoky depth, set against fresh parsley, set over Colby Jack cheese, Parmesan, and Mozzarella. We round out the toppings with olives, pepperoni, and pepperoncini peppers, finished with Miller's Banana Pepper Hot Sauce. This pizza features layers of American and Mediterranean flavors that are savory and spicy, mildly sweet, and just a hint tangy or briny. In terms of texture, the pizza itself cooks up crisp, giving it a nice crunch, while the cheese and pepperoni provide some soft contrast. Delicious.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate, but approachable for home cooks with some basic pizza-making experience. However, if you use a store-bought dough, this recipe becomes blissfully beginner-friendly - and there's no shame at all in using a decent store-bought dough. That said, this recipe does involve some prep work - such as charring garlic and slicing herbs.

Prep Process

The entire process should take about 50 minutes, with approximately 20 minutes of active prep time. Taken step by step, this pizza can become much easier to prepare. So, we start things off by charring the garlic (about five minutes total). Then we prepare the parsley spread while the garlic cools - please don't try to peel hot garlic (another five minutes). We stretch the dough and assemble the toppings on the pizza (ten minutes total). After that, we bake the pizza (about 30 minutes). And before you ask, yes, this pizza can indeed be prepped a few hours ahead of time, and then popped in the fridge until your guests arrive. I would not assemble the pie more than a few hours ahead of time, however, as the ingredients will soak through the dough.

Pairings

1. Beverages: Pizza and a cold beer are a go-to pairing on game day, and this pizza is no different. A light lager would beautifully balance the heat from Miller's Banana Pepper Hot Sauce. That said, a decent Chianti would pair beautifully with this pizza.
2. Sides: Calamari would be a great pairing alongside this pizza, as would a decent charcuterie board - especially for game day.
3. Hot Sauce: A little extra Miller's Banana Pepper Sauce will go a long way, so serve some alongside the pizza for dipping.

Arugula Salami Pizza - Ingredient Checklist

For the Pizza Base

• 1 fresh pizza dough
  • Store-bought or Homemade? Either will get the job done just fine. For my personal favorite pizza dough recipe, see my New York Style Pizza.
• ½ cup grated Mozzarella cheese
  • Full-fat or part-skim? This is debated by pizza aficionados, and I'm not going to pretend to put an end to that debate here. In truth, the answer is - it depends. It depends on what you value most. Fat is flavor, and full-fat mozzarella has a much better, fuller, more milky flavor than part-skim - because there's simply more 'milk' and therefore 'milk flavor compounds' in full-fat mozzarella. That said, part-skim melts better and gives off less grease as it melts (due to having less milk fat to turn into grease). So, if you prefer a less greasy pizza (with a little less flavor), opt for park skim. If you want full flavor, opt for full-fat.
  • Fresh Mozzarella? This pizza could definitely work with fresh mozzarella. In most cases, I would say save your fresh mozzarella for enjoying on its own, but for this recipe, some of that subtle, milky flavor might actually come through, complementing the other Mediterranean ingredients.
• ½ cup Colby Jack Cheese
  • What it Brings: A sharp and tangy cheddar flavor that really balances out the mozzarella's mildness, while working beautifully with the Miller's Hot Sauce.
  • Shred your own: I say this every chance I get, that shredding your own cheese really does make a difference. Pre-shredded leaks moisture, and that moisture is flavor.
• Fresh Romano or Parmesan for grating
  • Which grating cheese to use? Entirely preference. My go-to is Romano, but it really doesn't make a difference.
  • Shred your own: As mentioned above, shred your own cheese for the best results.
• Cornmeal for dusting
  • Note: Prevents the dough from sticking to the pan, simple.

For the fresh parsley spread

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Note: The oil works to carry and distribute the herb and garlic flavors, while also giving some mild background olive oil flavor of its own.
  • Substitutes: While I do recommend using olive oil for today's pizza, you can also use a flavor-neutral oil, such as avocado oil, if you must. But again, olive oil works best.
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • Flat leaf: Never use curly leaf parsley unless a recipe specifically asks for it, as curly leaf parsley has a very mild, 'barely there' herbal flavor - which is why it is almost exclusively used as garnish.
  • Fresh matters: Fresh flat-leaf parsley brings a bright, clean herbal flavor that its dried counterpart lacks.
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, grilled
  • Why Grill the Garlic? Grilling brings out the garlic's natural sweetness and gives it a smoky flavor while muting its astringent bite.
  • Leave the skin: Leaving the skin through grilling protects the garlic from burning, while allowing it to char gently. Simple.
  • Substitutes: Garlic powder can work if you don't have fresh on hand, but it will provide much less flavor.
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
  • Notes: Same as above. Fresh is better, and I suggest grating your own. And yes, as above, your preferred grating cheese will work just fine.
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
  • Dried only: Fresh oregano will overpower this pizza. As a rule of thumb, only use fresh oregano if a recipe specifically calls for it, as fresh oregano tends to overpower all but the hardiest of recipes.
• 1 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper
  • Fresh Ground or Pre-Ground? I would suggest fresh ground for better aromatics, but pre-ground will get the job done just fine.

For the Pizza Toppings

• Fresh Arugula
  • Notes: Brings a nice peppery bite.
  • Substitutes: Your preferred greens. Baby spinach or mixed salad greens would be my go-to.
• Red Onion, thinly sliced
  • Why Red? Red onions tend to be sharper than (most) of their counterparts, and that sharpness helps the oniony flavor stand out in this pizza. Also, that nice oniony bite, I believe, plays well with the other Mediterranean flavors.
• Pepperoni
  • Entirely preference: I'm opting for thin-sliced pepperoni, but your choice of meat will work. Prosciutto, salami, or sausage would all work - or mix and match.
• Green Olives, Sliced
  • Preference: Here again, entirely preference. If you prefer black olives or kalamata olives, go for it.
• Capers, drained
  • Flavor note: For brine and umami depth.
  • Don't Rinse: Do not rinse your capers. Don't do it. The flavor of capers is their brine. So when you rinse off the brine, you are quite literally rinsing away their flavor. How so? Because un-brined capers taste unpalatably bitter. The brine mellows away the bitterness, replacing it with briny, umami depth.
• Miller's Banana Pepper Hot Sauce
  • Star of the show: Drizzle this generously over the top of the pizza to bring some heat and chili flavor. It really helps tie the whole thing together.
  • Flavor notes: Brings mild heat and delicious chili pepper goodness. This award-winning Banana Pepper Sauce is made with vine-ripened peppers that have been picked at the peak of their freshness, creating a sweet and spicy pepper sauce with bold, chili pepper flavor. Use more or less depending on your spice preference.

Tips for Success

Dough Handling Mastery

First off, handle your dough at room temperature. Remove it from the fridge about an hour before you start handling it, because cold dough tears and is very stubborn. Cold dough will snap back constantly, which will risk tearing as you try to work it into shape. Second, remember to stretch the dough from the center outward, working with your knuckles rather than your fingertips. Your knuckles provide pressure over a greater area than your fingertips, which helps distribute the pressure, which in turn prevents tearing. For more tips on working with pizza dough, see my guide in my New York Style Pizza recipe.

Perfectly Charred Garlic

The number one tip for perfectly charred garlic is leaving the skin on. Full stop. The skin protects the garlic bulbs from burning while allowing for nice - and even! - caramelization. This brings out the garlic's aromatics beautifully, mutes its garlicy bite, and promotes its natural sweetness. Second, you'll know the garlic is done by how the skin browns. Spotted brown bulbs that are soft to the touch are done grilling. Simple.

Apply the Cheese Properly

Yes, there is a wrong way to do pizza with cheese. No, seriously, there is - especially when using mixed cheeses. Start with mozzarella as your base, since it melts smoothly and creates a nice foundation. Then add the Colby Jack. Remember to place the cheese evenly and strategically for maximal and even coverage. Then dust the top with the grated cheese.

Video for Arugula Salami Pizza

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And that's our Miller's Game Day Pizza. If you enjoyed this recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below.

Happy Cooking!

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