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The Works Pizza Bread

3.5

(5)

The deep hollow created by emptying the bread is filled with lots of goodies, and this becomes a deep-dish pizza.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients

1 18 x 4-inch 1-pound French bread
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed very dry
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons purchased pesto sauce
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
3 4 3/4-ounce cans eggplant appetizer (caponata)
3/4 cup purchased marinara sauce or pizza sauce

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Horizontally, cut off top 1/3 of bread and reserve for another use. Scoop or cut out interior of bread, leaving 1/2-inch shell. Place shell on large baking sheet.

    Step 2

    Fry sausage in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up with fork, about 10 minutes. Drain all fat from skillet. Combine spinach and 1/2 cup pesto in small bowl. Sprinkle half of cheese over bottom of bread shell. Spread spinach mixture over cheese. Arrange sausage evenly over spinach layer. Spread eggplant appetizer over.

    Step 3

    Bake pizza until filling is heated through, about 20 minutes. Combine marinara sauce with remaining cheese and spread over top of pizza. Dot with remaining 2 tablespoons pesto. Bake until cheese melts and topping bubbles, about 12 minutes.

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