Pork Sausage & Pepper Stromboli with Mozzarella & Marinara Sauce

Step 1

Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees (middle and bottom racks for 4 servings). Wash and dry produce. Halve, core, and thinly slice bell pepper into strips. Peel and mince or grate garlic.

Step 2

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and tender, 4-6 minutes. While pepper cooks, remove sausage* from casing; discard casing. TIP: Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut a lengthwise slit in the casing; this move makes it easy to peel it away! Add sausage to pan with pepper; cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Carefully remove any excess grease from pan.

Step 3

To pan with sausage mixture, stir in cream cheese, 1 tsp Tuscan Heat Spice (2 tsp for 4 servings; you’ll use more in the next step), and ¼ cup water (½ cup for 4). Cook, stirring, until most of the water has evaporated, 1-3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Step 4

Place garlic, 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4), and ½ tsp Tuscan Heat Spice (1 tsp for 4 servings) in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds until melted; stir until fully incorporated. Unroll pizza dough; separate sheets at dotted line. (TIP: Use a knife to separate cleanly.) Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet (2 sheets for 4); gently stretch each dough sheet into a 6-by-8-inch rectangle.

Step 5

Evenly sprinkle dough with mozzarella cheese, leaving a ½-inch space around edges. Top cheese with sausage and pepper mixture. Gently roll up each dough rectangle, starting with one of the short sides, to form a log. Arrange logs seam sides down on sheet; pinch ends closed and tuck under each log.

Step 6

With a small sharp knife, gently cut 3 small diagonal slits along the top of each log. Brush stromboli with garlic herb butter and season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 14-16 minutes (for 4 servings, bake on middle and bottom racks, swapping rack positions halfway through).

Step 7

Wash out bowl used for butter. When stromboli have 2 minutes left, place marinara sauce in bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until warm, 30-45 seconds. Transfer stromboli to a cutting board and slice crosswise into quarters. Divide between plates. Serve with warm marinara on the side for dipping.