Red Onion and Nduja Pizza
Today, we’re bringing together the spicy intensity of ’nduja with the sweet sharpness of red onion to create a pizza that’s rich, punchy, and full of character.
’Nduja, everyone’s favourite spreadable Calabrian sausage, melts into the pizza as it bakes, releasing its signature spicy, smoky oil and adding depth and richness across every part of the base. Thin slices of red onion bring balance with their natural sweetness and slight crunch, brightening the overall profile and creating an irresistible contrast to the heat of the ’nduja.
A base of Neapolitan-style tomato sauce and fior di latte mozzarella provides the perfect foundation—creamy, stretchy, and just mild enough to let the toppings shine. A light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) before baking adds a touch more depth and complexity, and a finishing sprinkle of dried oregano post-bake ties everything together with visual contrast and warm, aromatic notes.
This pizza was baked in our outdoor pizza oven using a 48-hour cold-fermented dough, resulting in a beautifully developed crust with exceptional flavour and texture.
Red Onion and Nduja Pizza
Equipment
- Outdoor Pizza Oven, Pizza Steel, or Stone (if using a home oven)
- 1 Pizza Peel
- 1 sauce ladle
- 1 wooden chopping board or peel for prep and serving
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough ball
- 1 ladle of pizza sauce
- Fresh mozzarella cheese
- Red onion
- Nduja
- Dried oregano
Instructions
- Prepare Dough: Follow any of our dough recipes. For this particular bake, we used our cold fermentation dough recipe, opting for a 72 hour fermentation period.You will need to prepare the dough at least 24 hours ahead of time.
- Prepare Sauce: We recommend our standard pizza sauce which is versatile, simple to make and is perfect for Neapolitan style pizzas. Spice up this sauce however you like, remember the best part about making pizza is the creative process!
- Prepare Cheese:Place your fresh mozzarella in a container or bowl with a paper towel at the bottom to allow some of the water to drain. Set aside for assembly.
- Prepare Red Onion: Finely slice red onion into rings. Set aside for assembly.
- Preheat Oven:Outdoor Pizza Oven: If using an outdoor pizza like an Ooni pizza oven, aim for a temperature of 450-500°C at the center of your pizza stone. Use an infrared thermometer to ensure accuracy. It should take around 25-30 minutes to reach temperature.Home Oven: Place pizza steel or stone inside the oven and preheat to the highest temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare Base: On a lightly floured surface, stretch out the dough by hand according to the steps outlined in our dough recipe.Once you're happy with the shape of the base, lightly dust your pizza peel and transfer the dough onto the peel.
- Assemble Pizza: Assemble the pizza by spreading a ladle of sauce in a circular motion, starting from the center and working outwards. Distribute pieces of mozzarella cheese evenly across the dough, ensuring the pieces are about 2 cm in diameter and at least 1.5 cm apart. Add red onion slices, spacing them evenly across the pizza. Add liberal amounts of Nduja, scattering small pieces across the surface. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Bake Your Pizza:Outdoor Pizza Oven: Launch the pizza into the oven and bake for 60-90 seconds. Keep an eye on the pie and rotate every 10-15 seconds to ensure even cooking and to prevent burning.Home Oven: Launch pizza onto a pizza steel or stone, the bake time should be around 7-10 minutes.
- Serving:Once the pizza is done, remove from the oven and place on a serving board. Sprinkle with dried oregano. Now it's time to enjoy your delicious homemade pizza with red onion and nduja!
