The fun part about Italian dishes is the fact that they are never hardly a hit or miss. They are always a hit! If you are a fan of pizza, like most of the world, then you’re almot sure to be a fan of calzones as well.
What is a Calzone?
A calzone is nothing more than a folded, baked pizza. I’ve heard people refer to calzones as many different things. I’ve heard pizza pie, pizza sandwich, pizza pockets, pizza turnovers and the list goes on. It’s prepared with all of your favorite toppings like pepperoni, sausage, vegetables and cheese.
One of the major things that differentiates it from a standard pizza, is ricotta being added to the filling. Also, the pizza sauce is typically served on the side. However, you have option of leaving out the ricotta cheese, and you can also put the pizza sauce inside the calzone as well.
Preparing a Calzone
A calzone is one of the most versatile meals there is to make. There are no limits as to what a calzone can be filled with. Some of the more common ingedients include: pepperoni, sausage, cheese and veggies. However, feel free to use whatever you like.
When it comes to the dough, it can be store-bought or homemade. I’ve made calzones with both, and they came out delicious each time. So, don’t be afraid or skeptical about using store-bought dough.
When preparing a calzone, the dough is divided into four equal parts, and layered with toppings. It is then folded and sealed at the edges, and baked until golden brown.
Homemade Calzone
Ingredients
- 1 lb pizza dough, homemade or store bought
- 8 oz Italian sausage
- 20 pepperoni slices
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, diced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, lightly chopped
- 1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cup pizza sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a skillet, brown sausage over medium high heat. Use a spatula to crumble meat while cooking. Drain on paper towel.
- Add onions, bell peppers and mushrooms to same skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and drain on paper towel.
- In a small bowl, mix ricotta, Parmesan and 2 tsp of Italian seasoning. Set aside.
- Divide pizza dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each piece into a 9 inch circle.
- Leaving 1 inch border, spread 1/4 of ricotta mixture on half of circle. Top with sausage, vegetable mixture, mozzarella cheese, 5 pepperoni slices, a little more cheese and a few sprinkles of fresh basil. Fold the pizza dough over the filling, sealing the edges. Repeat until 4 calzones are made.
- Cut 3 small vents in the top of each calzone and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on top.
- Place each calzone on a large baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven for 13 – 15 minutes. Serve warm with pizza sauce for dipping.
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