This is my version of a favorite pizza-chain’s Spicy Mediterranean pizza. This version has a twist, Roasted Red Pepper Pizza Sauce!
There’s absolutely no way I could post pizza sauce recipe and NOT give you something to spread it on.
The inspiration for this pizza comes from a mostly Michigan-based pizza chain that my friend Ann and I order from on the regular while at work for lunch. There it’s called “The Spicy Mediterranean”, but since I don’t find it very spicy, like at all, I didn’t want to confuse anyone with that kind of title. This pizza really isn’t spicy… unless you throw on some red pepper flakes!? Who’s with me?
To Make This Mediterranean Pizza You Will Need:
- homemade pizza dough
- semolina
- roasted red pepper pizza sauce
- mozzarella cheese
- mild or spicy banana pepper rings
- freshly crumbled feta cheese
- fresh oregano leaves
I lightly, and I mean lightly, rubbed some olive oil on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Then sprinkled the tablespoon of semolina all over the bottom of the pan. The semolina will help the pizza from sticking while giving the crust some crunch factor.
After you’ve made the dough and let it do that whole rise thang, plop it onto the semolina’d sheet pan.
Using your fingers… stretch the dough out. Nothing perfect… think rustic.
Next, spread as much or as little of the roasted red pepper pizza sauce all over the dough leaving a little bit of an edge for your fingers to have something to hold on to.
Then sprinkle with 1-1/2 cups of freshly grated mozzarella or farmer’s cheese.
Next, top with as many banana peppers as you’d like the sky’s the limit here or about 1/2 cup.
Then top with the remaining 1/2 cup grated mozzarella.
Next, measure out about 1/4 cup of Feta cheese.
And then sprinkle it over top. I almost forgot this key cheese, because after shooting the ingredient shot I popped it back into the fridge so it would soften too much. Well after my pizza was in the oven for like 10 WHOLE minutes I about freaked-the-heck-out because I almost forgot the Feta! Ya can’t make a Mediterranean pizza without the Feta. End of story.
Lastly, bake the pizza in a 400° oven for 15-20 minutes or just until the cheese is bubbly and a golden brown.
Sprinkle on torn pieces of oregano…
Slice and serve.
There’s a zillion different ways you could go with this pizza. Olives, sliced red onions or even grilled chicken to add some protein. But this is how I like it. The sauce is incredible. Every time I open my fridge and see that bright red sauce, I reminisce about this pizza.
If I had to pick just one thing to eat for the rest of my life? It would be pizza, perhaps this pizza.
Enjoy! And if you give this Mediterranean Pizza recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Mediterranean Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 recipe homemade pizza dough
- 1 tablespoons semolina
- roasted red pepper pizza sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup mild or spicy banana pepper rings
- fresh oregano leaves, torn for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°.
- Lightly oil a large, rimmed sheet pan with olive oil and sprinkle the semolina, shaking the pan so it spreads out.
- After you've made the dough and let it rise. Punch it down and spread it out with your finger tips in the center of the sheet pan.
- Spread the desired amount of pizza sauce all over the pizza leaving an edge crust.
- Sprinkle with 1-1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella, divvy up the banana peppers and sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella and the 1/4 cup of Feta.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden.
- Once baked, let it cool for a few minutes before slicing.
- Top with freshly torn oregano leaves and enjoy!
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Mmm looks awesome!!
You’re killing me!!! I’ve been craving homemade pizza for a while and keep forgetting to make dough. Looks fantastic!
This has to be made THIS WEEKEND!
Y-E-E-E-E-E-E-S.
This looks so good!
Homemade pizza rocks my socks. That sauce has so many options too, I love this!
These are awesome flavors, Laurie…I eat banana peppers from the jar!
Wow, this is definitely my kind of pizza! Jason is going to be over the moon when I make this for him.
this pizza looks amazing. i LOVE everything on here!! i would eat that red pepper sauce out of the jar, i’m obsessed with red peppers being turned into sauce 😉
This pizza has everything a girl could want…..cheese, a slammin sauce, banana peppers….fantastic looking crust….and did I mention cheese! [sigh]…is it weird to propose to a pizza!?
I bet your signficant other adores you – haha this pizza is a way to a man’s heart.
Ooh, this looks yummy! I just found your site and I’m very excited! I’ve been browsing recipes, and thought you might want to know that there is an error message for a lot of your recipes (and your contact info, which is why I’m mentioning it here!) Feel free to delete my comment, just wanted to let you know in case you didn’t! :o)
When I saw that red pepper sauce… I knew it was going into something fantastic coming up! Laurie, this pizza looks perfect. Literally PERFECT. I haven’t made homemade pizza in ages. You have me craving it for breakfast lol
Looks beautiful, Laurie! I love homemade pizza and your red pepper sauce sounds amazing!
This looks flippin’ amazing! Could I have two slices to go, please? =)
Wow, my pizzas never look this beautiful! What a delicious idea!
Love it! I need to make this recipe this weekend! What kind of pan do you have? I think I need that too.
I was just thinking about this pizza this afternoon. I live in Cleveland now. I’ll be trying it soon!
I lived in Ann Arbor, MI in the late 80’s … I Can’t recall where we ordered the Spicy Med Pizza from but it was in Ypsilanti. I Have been craving this for years!! Made my shopping list…and am soooo looking forward to this! I’m adding sesame seeds on the edge of the crust to be true to my memories of the best pizza EVER!!!
Cottage Inn Pizza. They have made hundreds of millions($) off the Spicy Med. Their recipe is still the best. Others tried to copy it, but failed, because the ingredients are pricey, and with any shortcuts, it falls flat.
I worked at CI for 7 years and made tens of thousands of Spicy Meds. You forgot the Olive Oil, the sesame seed crust, and the buttered pan. They are not really “Spicy”, more like very tangy. And yes, they are very addicting. I brought one home 30 years ago, and my Sister still pines for me to make her one, to this day.