Diavola Pizza is a spicy pizza dish that's full of flavor and spice! This fiery and delectable pizza is distinguished by its spicy salami, chili pepper bite, and melty mozzarella cheese. It's simple to create and the ideal way to elevate your pizza night.
Almost every week, generally on the weekends, our family has a pizza night as a ritual. We love to set up the table in front of our "dinner theater" that is our large screen, watch a movie, and spend quality time with our family. Additionally, I frequently cook our own pizza, even though we frequently order from one of our favorite local pizzerias. Using a few shortcuts (such as ready-made dough or sauce) can make the process quick and simple, and depending on where you purchase your pizza, it may be much less expensive. Additionally, you can try a variety of pizza topping combinations, which we adore.
Being a family that loves spices, Pizza Diavola is one of our faves. This is a staple of our pizza night menu because of the crunchy crust topped with hot chili peppers, kalamata olives, melty fresh mozzarella cheese, and spicy salami. (And don't worry if you're concerned about excessive heat. The temperature here is completely customizable.)
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Why This Recipe Works
If you're craving something spicy, the Spicy Diavola Pizza, sometimes called "Pizza Alla Diavola," is the greatest pizza. An enticing blend of flavors is produced by the addition of chili peppers, spicy salami, and a touch of hot honey at the end. This is the reason this dish is so successful:
- Spicy flavor: The chili peppers and spicy salami are the main ingredients of this spicy pizza, adding a wonderful kick to every bite.
- Ingredients that are in balance: A nice mix of flavors is produced by the fresh mozzarella and basil, which offer a refreshing counterpoint to the fire.
- Simple to make: When I'm making pizza, I love to take a few shortcuts. To make making pizzas really simple, I usually make a batch of this five-minute pizza sauce and buy premade pizza dough from the grocery store or my neighborhood pizza place. (Of course, if you would rather, you may prepare your own quick pizza dough!)
- Customizable: It is ideal for both spice aficionados and those who like a softer kick because you can change the amount of spiciness to your own level. Since my youngest is the only member of our family who dislikes heat, we make sure to reduce the amount of chili peppers on his pizza.
- Hot Honey Drizzle: This pizza is elevated by the optional hot honey drizzle at the end, which gives a sweet and spicy touch.
Ingredients
This Spicy Diavola Pizza requires the following ingredients:
- Pizza dough. You can use either homemade or store-bought pizza dough. Our local grocery shop sells fresh pizza dough in the deli aisle, which always tastes wonderful and saves the pizza-making time in half. Another suggestion is to check with your neighborhood pizza place. If you ask, they'll usually offer you a portion of dough for a few dollars (and some will even roll it out for you! Easy!)
- Cornmeal. If you enjoy pizza, you'll know that cornmeal is frequently used to dust the pizza pan or stone, rather than in the dough. This special ingredient contributes to the crust's crispiness on the bottom.
- Pizza sauce. You can make your own sauce or buy it at the shop. I often find store-bought brands excessively sweet, so I create my own with this simple recipe. Simply toss everything into a blender and puree; it only takes 5 minutes and yields enough pizza sauce for 2-3 pizzas.
- Fresh mozzarella. I normally buy pre-sliced logs of mozzarella at the deli.
- Spicy salami. There are numerous variations available. I used Hot Sopressata, although Spicy Calabrese is another popular type of hot salami that you can get in supermarkets.
- Hot chili peppers. You may make these as hot or as mild as you want, depending on the kind you select. I used a few spicy serrano peppers. Calabrian chili peppers, habaneros, and even fiery cherry peppers are all viable options. Feel free to alter the amount here, or skip the peppers entirely if the spice is too strong for you.
- Kalamata olives. The olives add a saline contrast to the spiciness of the salami and hot peppers.
- Basil. Add this at the end for a burst of flavor.
- Serve with hot honey. This is completely optional, however we enjoy spreading hot honey over pizza, and this spicy pizza is perfect for it.
How To Make This Spicy Diavola Pizza With Hot Salami
It's time to start the cooking and preparation procedure now that we have all of our ingredients ready. Starting with the pizza dough, we will gradually create the ideal Spicy Diavola Pizza.
- Warm up the oven. Set your oven to a blazing 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius) to start. While the oven is preheating, put your pizza stone in there if you have one. The crispy, restaurant-style crust will be aided by the pizza stone. (Don't worry if you don't have a pizza stone; the frequently asked questions are below.)
- The pizza dough should be rolled out. Roll out your pizza dough on a lightly floured surface while the oven is heating up.
- Get the pizza sauce ready. Next, get your pizza sauce ready. You can use your preferred canned sauce or make your own. Put aside.
- Get the pizza toppings ready. Cut the Kalamata olives, spicy salami, and fresh mozzarella into slices. Dice the fresh basil and thinly slice the chile peppers. It's easier to put the pizza together if you have all of the toppings available. Note: Use a paper towel to dab away any moisture from your mozzarella if it's a little wet. This will prevent the pizza from becoming overly moist.
- Prepare the dough by baking it beforehand. Your oven ought to be at 500 degrees by now. To help make the bottom of the dough crisp and keep it from sticking, carefully remove the pizza stone and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Using a fork, gently pierce the rolled-out dough all over the stone. By prebaking the dough, you may prevent the crust from getting too soft or wet from all of your toppings. Use a pizza peel to remove the dough after prebaking it for approximately two minutes.
- Put the garnishes on. Quickly add your toppings after taking the pizza stone out of the oven after prebaking. The thin coating of sauce should come first, then the mozzarella, olives, chili peppers, and hot salami.
- Bake. Put the pizza back in the oven and bake it on the center rack for about 8 minutes. Make sure it doesn't overcook by keeping an eye on it. The crust should be brown and crispy, and the cheese should be thoroughly melted.
- Let it cool and drizzle. When your Spicy Diavola Pizza is done, carefully take it out of the oven. To prevent overcooking, use a pizza peel to remove it from the pizza stone. Place it on a big tray or cutting board and let it cool for a few minutes. For a pop of fresh flavor, sprinkle the chopped basil on top while it's cooling. Before serving, drizzle the pizza with hot honey for an additional layer of sweetness and spice.
Variations and Substitutions
Making pizza at home allows you to be creative, which is its beauty. You can experiment with the following changes and additions to your Spicy Diavola Pizza:
- Type of dough. Try out various pizza dough varieties, including gluten-free, cauliflower, and whole wheat crusts. I also occasionally enjoy adding extra ingredients, like dried herbs or garlic, to the dough.
- Cheese selections. Although mozzarella is traditional and frequently used in real pizza diavola recipes, you can experiment with various cheeses for different flavors, such as provolone, pecorino-Romano, or parmesan.
- Modify the amount of spice. Use a less spicy salami and either leave out the spicy peppers or use a red bell pepper if you simply don't like the spice.
- Alternatives to meat. You can substitute pepperoni, chorizo, or any other preferred cured meat if you don't like spicy salami.
- Make it vegetarian! Replace the meat with your favorite vegetables, such as red onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms, to make a vegetarian version.
Have fun and use your imagination. That's the nicest thing about baking pizza at home, after all!
Frequently Asked Questions
It's common to use "Pizza Diavola" and "Pizza Alla Diavola" interchangeably. Both describe a spicy pizza that usually include chili peppers and spicy salami. The recipe's regional or individual variances may be the primary distinction. Pizza diavola translates to "deviled" pizza in Italian. An excellent moniker for this fiery food.
Yes, for this spicy pizza recipe, you can use store-bought crusts like Boboli or homemade or store-bought dough.
By using milder or hotter chili peppers and varying the amount of spicy salami, you may customize the level of spiciness. Use sweet peppers or red bell peppers if you want a milder version.
You can use a baking sheet or a cast-iron pan for a pizza stone if you don't have one. Place it in the oven as it preheats to help achieve a crispy crust.
Of course! Just follow the baking instructions after preheating your pizza oven to 500 degrees.
Any leftovers should keep well for three to four days if kept in a container in the refrigerator.
Pizza can be challenging to reheat since it is difficult to restore its crispy, mouthwatering fresh-out-of-the-oven texture. What I do is as follows: Put the remaining pizza slices in a cold oven after arranging them on a baking sheet covered with paper. Set the oven's temperature to 380 degrees. Your pizza should be mostly warmed after the oven reaches 380 degrees; if not, continue cooking it for a few more minutes. For the majority of pizzas, I find that this method works nicely. It prevents the pizza slices from overcooking and restores their crispy texture.
close-up of a diavola pizza slice.
If you tried this Spicy Diavola Pizza Recipe With Hot Salami or any other recipe on my website, please feel free to leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. And remember to tag me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Spicy Diavola Pizza Recipe With Hot Salami
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Homemade pizza dough (or store-bought)
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- ½ cup fresh mozzarella sliced
- ½ cup spicy salami sliced
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives sliced (or black olives)
- 1 chili pepper or other hot pepper variety, sliced
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat a chilly oven to 500 degrees and place a pizza stone inside.
- Stretch the pizza dough to suit your pizza pan or stone by rolling it out on a lightly floured surface while the oven is heating.
- Make your own pizza sauce or use store-bought sauce in a jar. (Note: homemade pizza sauce only requires a few basic things from your cupboard and only takes five minutes.)
- Prepare the pizza toppings by slicing the mozzarella, the salami, the spicy peppers, the basil, and the olives, if necessary. If the mozzarella appears excessively "wet," just use a paper towel to dab away some of the moisture. You can avoid your pizza getting soggy by doing this.
- Remove the pizza stone and dust the oven with cornmeal after it reaches 500 degrees. To let the steam rise through, add the rolled-out dough and gently poke it all over with a fork. Without any toppings, prebake the dough for two minutes. By prebaking the dough, you can avoid your toppings making the dough too soft or soggy.
- Quickly add your toppings after removing the pre-baked dough from the stone with a pizza peel. Cover the crust with a thin coating of the sauce. Add the cheese, the spicy salami, the cut olives, and the chili peppers.
- Put the pizza back in the oven and bake it for eight minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Let the pizza cool for a few minutes after taking it out of the oven (use a pizza peel to remove the pizza stone as well, or it will continue to cook on the bottom). Add the chopped basil on top.
- If preferred, top with a drizzle of hot honey.
NOTES
- Modify the amount of spice. Unable to tolerate the heat? Use a milder salami and pepper to adjust the spice.
- For a crispier crust, use a pizza stone.
- To save time, use dough that has already been produced. You may buy premade pizza dough at your favorite pizzeria or find it in the deli department of most grocery stores.
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