This lightly spicy Vodka Sauce Pizza has a Detroit-style crust that bakes up super chewy in the middle with crispy edges. Instead of regular pizza sauce, we’re using creamy vodka sauce and topping it with type types of gooey cheese plus spicy pepperoni. The end result is a weeknight-friendly pizza recipe that tastes like something you’d buy at your local pizza parlor!
“Just made this with my granddaughter, we both agree this is a keeper recipe.” – Ann Marie, So Much Food reader
Table of contents
Ditch the Pizza Sauce and Top Your Pizza With Vodka Sauce Instead!
Pizza is a year-round staple for me and there is nothing quite like this vodka sauce pizza. Think: pasta alla vodka meets Detroit-style pizza. I mean, WOW, this pizza has it all. The vodka sauce is rich and creamy with spice from the pepperoni and loaded with tons of cheese. What more could you want?
This is an easy and impressive pizza recipe that makes 8 big slices. It’s already a weeknight-friendly since it uses my same-day pizza dough recipe, but to save even MORE time you can also use store-bought pizza dough.
You’re going to love this mash-up between pizza and pasta alla vodka!
Special Equipment You’ll Need
The Key Ingredients
- Pizza dough. My homemade pizza dough uses just 5 basic ingredients, with the active dry yeast and the 00 flour being the two main items to have on hand. If you’d rather use a store-bought dough, I’ve given suggestions below on which kind to buy and why.
- Canned whole peeled tomatoes. I prefer using whole tomatoes rather than crushed tomatoes because they’re made using the best and ripest tomatoes, whereas crushed tomatoes often use the lower-quality tomatoes. The result is a vodka sauce that’s smoother, richer, and less acidic in flavor.
- Tomato paste. This is my secret ingredient for making vodka sauce taste like it’s been simmering for 10 hours rather than just 10 minutes.
- Aromatics. Fresh garlic and onion infuse the vodka sauce with lots of flavor.
- Vodka. Yes, vodka sauce calls for actual vodka! The alcohol will cook off as the sauce simmers, leaving behind a bright flavor and silky smooth texture that you can’t achieve without it.
- Red pepper flakes. Doesn’t make the sauce spicy, it just adds a kick of heat that makes the pizza super flavorful.
- Heavy cream. Half and half or another lower-fat alternative won’t work; you need real cream to bind the sauce together and make it ultra luxurious.
- Cheese. I used a blend of fresh mozzarella and shredded provolone to create the cheese pull to end all cheese pulls.
- Pepperoni. I prefer spicy pepperoni here, but you can use any kind you like (or omit entirely to keep your pie vegetarian).
My Favorite Store-Bought Doughs
I love making my own pizza dough, but you can easily make this recipe with store-bought dough. You’ll need approximately two 16-ounce balls of dough — here are my favorites:
- Trader Joe’s: Trader Joe’s sells fresh pizza dough in their refrigerated section and it’s amazing. You’ll need to purchase 2 dough balls.
- Whole Foods: You can buy fresh pizza dough from your local Whole Foods. Honestly, most well-stocked grocery stores sell fresh pizza dough so check with your local retailer.
- Your local pizza parlor: Most people don’t realize that if you ask, pizza restaurants will sell you their dough!
Jenny’s Tip: Whatever you do, don’t use pizza dough in a can! It doesn’t have the right thickness or consistency for this recipe.
How to Make Vodka Sauce Pizza
Jenny’s Tip: You’ll need to use a high-powered blender to get the vodka sauce perfectly smooth.
- Make your own pizza dough (optional). If you’re following my easy-peasy recipe, you’ll need to let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Make the vodka sauce. After a quick sauté, the onion and garlic will be beautifully fragrant. That’s your cue to add the red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and whole tomatoes. Simmer this mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, then add the vodka and keep simmering for another 4ish minutes before blending.
Jenny’s Tip: Always use caution when blending the sauce, because it’ll be hot at this point. I typically blend my vodka sauce in bursts, gently cracking the lid between bursts to release the steam.
- Stretch the dough. Instead of rolling out the dough, I want you to grease your 9×13-inch pan with a little oil oil and stretch the dough to the edges using just your fingertips. This preserves all the air bubbles in the dough and makes for a chewier crust.
- Cover and let rise (again). The pizza dough need just 45 minutes for this second rise.
- Assemble and bake. Top with the vodka sauce, provolone, fresh mozzarella, and pepperoni. Bake at 450ºF until the pepperoni is crispy and the cheese is browned.
Jenny’s Tips for Making the Best Pizza
Store-bought sauce further simplifies this recipe. You’ll make your own vodka sauce for this pizza recipe, but if you really want to simplify things you can use store-bought. Opt for a high-quality jarred vodka sauce if you do go that route.
After you slice your fresh mozzarella, pat it very dry with paper towels. Fresh mozzarella releases a lot of moisture, so patting it dry helps keep the pizza from getting soggy.
Prefer a thinner crust? If you don’t like a thicker crust, you can easily divide the pizza dough into two and bake it in a round pizza pan.
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.
More Homemade Pizza Recipes
- Same-Day Pizza Dough
- Vodka Sauce Pizza
- French Bread Pizza
- White Pizza (Pizza Bianca)
- Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
- 72-Hour Pizza Dough
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Vodka Sauce Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 250 g warm water (about 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 365 g '00' Flour (about 2 3/4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Vodka Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 15 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper, to taste
Toppings
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, torn and patted dry
- 6 oz mild provolone cheese, grated
- 4 oz spicy pepperoni, sliced
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Make the pizza dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water and yeast and stir to combine. Wait 5 minutes, until the yeast is a little foamy. Add the olive oil and flour and mix on low. As the dough comes together, add the salt. Mix the dough on medium-low speed until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
- First rise. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 2 hours at room temperature.
- Make the vodka sauce. Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the red pepper flakes, tomato pasta, and whole tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to break the tomatoes up and simmer for 5-10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the vodka and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the heavy cream. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
- Preheat an oven to 450 F. Drizzle a nonstick 9×13 baking pan with 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Stretch the dough. Scrape the proofed pizza dough into the prepared baking pan and toss to coat in the olive oil. Use your fingers to gently stretch the pizza to the edges of the pan. If it springs back, wait 5 minutes, and stretch some more until the dough reaches the edges.
- Second rise. Cover the pan with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 45 minutes, until puffy.
- Assemble. Spread sauce all over the surface of the dough. Top with the grated provolone and then evenly distribute the torn mozzarella all over. Top with pepperoni and dot with more sauce.
- Bake. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the pepperoni is crispy and the cheese is browned. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Rate & Review This Recipe
Just made this with my granddaughter, we both agree this is a keeper recipe. First time making vodka sauce, next time will try making the dough recipe. Thank you
So happy to hear it!