Deep-dish pizza night: A slice of Chicago at home

Why order out when you can create a pizza night that’s both budget-friendly and fabulous? Chicago Deep Dish Pizza isn’t just any pizza, it’s an experience — a slice of the Windy City’s food scene that you can enjoy at home without breaking the bank.

Picture a thick, buttery crust rising to golden perfection, cradling layers of gooey cheese, savory meats, fresh veggies and rich tomato sauce. It’s a knife-and-fork pizza that turns dinner into an event.

And the best part? Making it at home lets you savor this luxurious dish without the hefty price tag.

Chicagoans take pride in their Deep Dish Pizza, and now you can, too.

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

Bake this in a 9-inch deep-dish pizza pan or 9-inch springform pan for a jaw-dropping presentation fresh from the oven. But if you don’t have either one, two 9-inch round cake pans will do just fine.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the thick tomato sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (14 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon sugar, optional

Big pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pizza:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound pizza dough, purchased or your favorite recipe

10 ounces mozzarella cheese, thickly sliced

1-pound sweet Italian sausage, cooked

1 to 2 cups sautéed vegetables such as, peppers, onion, mushrooms

1 1/2 cups thick tomato sauce, above

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure

In a saucepan set on medium-high, heat the olive oil and garlic just until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and well-drained diced tomatoes. Whisk this together and bring to a simmer. Add the Italian seasoning, sugar — this sauce should be sweet, add sugar to taste — and pepper flakes, if using. Let this simmer, uncovered, until it reduces to a thick consistency, about 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Prepare your pizza pan; use either a 9-inch round pan or a 9-inch springform pan. Use the olive oil to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.

Stretch dough, either on an oiled baking mat or in your hands. Channel your inner pizza chef and give it a little spin. Shape dough into as big a circle as you can get it. Lay the dough in the pan and stretch it toward the edges until it starts to shrink back. Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Now is when you should preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Stretch the dough again to cover the bottom of the pan, then gently push it up the sides of the pan about 2 inches.

Bake the crust in the hot oven for 10 minutes; it should barely start to brown. While it’s baking, get your filling ready.

When the crust is partially baked, cover the bottom of the crust with sliced mozzarella, letting it curve up the crust. Add the sausage and/or sautéed vegetables, then generously cover the top with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan and drizzle with the olive oil.

Bake the pizza for about 25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Remove it from the oven, place it on a cooling rack and let the pizza cool for about 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Molto delizioso!