This delicious, hearty pizza is far from light-tasting, but nutritionally it soars above most other options in the deep-dish pizza category. We cook it in a cast-iron skillet to help give it a deep-dish pizza look and feel. For a crisp, not soggy crust, the key is to start the crust on the stove top, then top it, and transfer it to the oven. Round out your meal with a side salad and your drink of choice.
How to Make It
Preheat oven to 450ºF. Sprinkle cornmeal evenly in bottom of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Stretch pizza dough to an 11-inch circle. Fit dough into bottom and up sides of skillet. Place skillet over medium-high heat on stovetop; cook until bottom of crust is dry and beginning to brown (pull crust slightly away from side of skillet to peek at it), about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; prick bottom of crust several times using a fork.
Spread marinara sauce over crust in skillet; sprinkle with cheese and pepperoni. Brush crust edges with oil. Transfer to preheated oven; bake until crust is golden and cheese is melted and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; slice. If desired, garnish with crushed red pepper.