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Sicilian style Easy Sheet Pan Tomato Herb Pizza. Fresh pizza dough topped with roasted cherry tomato sauce, three kinds of cheese, pepperoni, house style “pizza seasoning” and so much fresh garden basil. The key to this pizza is baking it on a sheet pan at a high temp until the crust becomes just a little crisp and the cheese is melty. As soon as the pizza comes out of the oven, top it with fresh basil, slice, eat, and ENJOY. Trust me, every last bite of this pizza is delicious and will leave you wanting more. It’s savory, a touch spicy, and the perfect mix of summer flavors that everyone will LOVE.
We all know how much I love a good pizza, I have many many here on the blog. So I don’t say this lightly when I say…I’m pretty sure this is the best pizza I’ve ever made. Most of my favorites include an herb/pesto base, and more times than not burrata as well. This pizza is nothing like any of my other favorites. This pizza is more of a classic, but with a twist. Kind of like something you might order from your favorite pizzeria or maybe even something like you might find in Sicily, Italy.
And. Oh. My. Gosh. It. Is. GOOD.
First things first, I’m putting it out there that I’m well aware this is not the tried and true traditional way to make this pizza. I did a ton of reading before writing this post to find out more about Sicilian Style pizza…how it originated, and what the classic way to make it is. But what I found was that it’s actually made in many different ways. The classic style pizzas that I came across were mostly thicker crust rectangle pizzas. They have a simple tomato base, lots of cheese, and pepperoni on top.
My version is similar, but then it’s kind of not. But SO GOOD. I can’t stress the SO GOOD enough. I love this pizza!
Start with the dough.
Start with the dough. I like to use my homemade pizza dough recipe from the HBH Super Simple cookbook. It’s the easiest to make and truly delicious. If you can think a few hours ahead of time, I’d recommend making your own dough. If not, store-bought pizza dough works great too (Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s both have great options)!
For those of you who prefer a thicker crust pizza, I recommend using closer to three-quarters or even one pound of pizza dough. We like our crust thinner, so I only use a half-pound of dough.
Once you have your dough figured out, it’s time to make pizza.
The two key steps.
Now, these next two steps are KEY and what I’ve found to be the most common throughout everything I read. You need to cook this pizza at a high heat temp and on a sheet pan. So start preheating your oven to five hundred degrees as soon as you decide you’re making pizza. Ideally one to two hours ahead of time to get it really HOT.
If you’re in a pinch, thirty minutes works too.
During this same time, place your ball of pizza dough on an oiled quarter sheet pan (or sheet pan of similar size). Now let it rest, the longer you can let the dough sit on the pan, the better. Thirty minutes will do the trick, but if you have the time, shoot for anywhere from two to five hours. This allows the dough time to get puffy and create wonderful air pockets.
Now make the sauce.
Instead of using store-bought sauce, I wanted to use all my fresh summer cherry tomatoes. So I just did a quick pan roasted burst cherry tomato sauce with garlic and thyme. I roasted the tomatoes in the oven at five hundred…since I already had it on. Works beautifully and creates a delicious caramelized tomato sauce.
Simply smash the tomatoes down with a fork and you’ll have a very rustic fresh tomato sauce.
And finally, the “house herb garlic pizza seasoning”.
This seasoning mix? It was actually the inspiration behind this entire pizza. I had the concept for the fresh herb and garlic seasoning mix before I decided I wanted to make a Sicilian style pizza. Fresh basil, fresh oregano, garlic, fennel, and so much crushed red pepper…how could I go wrong!
I knew the pizza needed to be somewhat simple and cheesy, enter the idea for Sicilian pizza. Once I had this in my head I was sold…pizza was being made.
And you guys? It really is the seasoning mix that MAKES this pizza. It’s fresh, herby, garlicky, and spicy. All of my favorite things.
Assemble and bake.
Push the dough out onto the baking sheet, add the sauce, the cheeses, the pepperoni (only if you enjoy them, which we do), and that herb seasoning mix. Bake in the upper position of the oven (also key), and in less than fifteen minutes you’ll have amazing pizza.
And your kitchen will smell incredible. It might be crazy hot, but I promise, this pizza is worth it!
Most importantly, you’ll have a delicious pizza to enjoy for dinner…maybe outside on the porch if your kitchen is sweltering hot from the oven. Sorry, but again, this pizza is worth it.
As soon as the pizza comes out of the oven. Slice it, top with basil, and eat. This one is meant to be eaten hot…preferably on a summer night with your favorite drink in hand. I’m picturing an ice-cold beer.
Easy Sheet Pan Tomato Herb Pizza…classic…with some additions. So very cheesy, herby, and just delicious. Roll your eyes back good!
Looking for other summer pizzas? Here are a few of my go-to’s.
Garlic and Herb Roasted Cherry Tomato Pizza with Caramelized Onions
Peach Burrata Pizza with Honey Balsamic
Lastly, if you make this Easy Sheet Pan Tomato Herb Pizza., be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch The How To Video:
Easy sheet pan Tomato Herb Pizza
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 429 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes (or one 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes)
- 4 cloves garlic, 2 whole smashed, 2 grated
- 2 teaspoons fig preserves or use honey
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pinch kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, plus more for serving (or 1 tablespoon dried)
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
- 1-2 teaspoons fennel seeds use to your taste
- 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
- 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese
- 3 ounces pepperoni, sliced
Instructions
- 1. Position the oven rack in the upper 1/3 position. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. at least 30 minutes before baking, preferably 1-2 hours ahead. If you have a baking stone, start preheating it. 2. Place the ball of pizza dough on a lightly oiled quarter sheet pan. Lightly drizzle olive oil on top of the dough ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2-5 hours, if time allows.3. To make the sauce. In a roasting pan, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, 2 cloves smashed garlic, fig preserves, thyme, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Roast in the middle of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes, until the tomatoes burst. Using a fork, smash the tomatoes down until a chunky sauce forms. Is using canned tomatoes, just simmer on the stove until thickened. Alternately, you can use your favorite marinara sauce too.4. To make the herb seasoning. In a bowl, combine the basil, oregano, 1-2 cloves grated garlic, fennel, and a pinch each of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. 5. To assemble. Remove the plastic wrap. Gently press the dough until it covers the entire sheet pan. Drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil. Spread on the sauce, you may not need it all. Top with cheese, then pepperoni. Sprinkle the herb seasoning over top. 6. Slide into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pizza, and bake another 3-5 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted. Top the pizza with fresh basil and addition crushed red pepper flakes. ENJOY!
Notes
Quarter Sheet Pan: this is the exact USA Quarter Sheet Pan I use. You can use any sheet pan you have that's of similar size, it does not need to be exact.
We honestly make this pizza weekly, it’s simply amazing! We just keep it easy by using a premade dough
Hi Ashley,
Happy Holidays! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!?? xTieghan
Can’t wait to try this tonight and not sure if you’ll get this question in time, but can I make the “sauce” in advance as a way to make my evening less hectic??
Hey Gina,
Totally! I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This was the best pizza I’ve ever had, and I followed your recipe exactly as written. However, it stuck to my pan very badly (I oiled it). Are there any tricks to prevent this? Different baking sheet or pizza stone? It was super hard to get off the pan.
Hi Hayley! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! 🙂 xTieghan
Incredible. I used 1lb pizza dough (I went with the homemade version and made it the day before). I struggled a little to get it to cover the bottom of the pan, but my sheet was slightly bigger than the quarter sheet pan that was recommended.
And I’ll be honest, I probably went a little heavy on the tomato sauce; I couldn’t help it! It looked, smelled, and tasted amazing. Totally my fault, but the crust struggled to get crispy because of it. I ended up sliding it off the pan directly onto the rack for a few minutes (with a pan underneath to catch any droppings), and it was *perfection*. Rave reviews.
Hey Bree,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
One of my absolute fave HBH recipes! So simple and delicious and will forever change the way you think of tomato sauce!
Hey Holly,
Happy Sunday! I love to hear this recipe was enjoyed and I truly appreciate you giving it a try! xxTieghan
I used my standard crust and sauce but did everything else—particularly the herb mix. Loved it!! Will use it moving forward. If really “dresses up” the pepperoni pizza. Even the kids liked it.
Hey there,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
The flavors of the sauce, herb mixture and cheeses is so spot on! I used a half pound of Trader Joe’s dough, that was not enough though, definitely recommend using the full pound. I could not pull it across the whole pan. The middle of my crust did not crisp up well either. I did preheat the oven for over an hour too. Maybe I should have preheated the sheet pan I cooked it on? I would try this one again though!
Hey Jackie,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Sorry, I have never used Trader Joe’s pizza dough so I am not sure how it cooks up! xTieghan
I made this for the second time and it turned out so phenomenal!! OMG my husband and adult kids loved it. Soooo good and I feel that the spice topping really makes it!
Hey Linda,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Excellent! I have never used thyme in pizza sauce before, but will now. I got carried away and used all the sauce which it really did not need, but soooo good. Next time I will use less pepperoni and cut it smaller using it more like a spice, otherwise, it came close to overwhelming the other flavors. Just a personal preference. This recipe is a definite winner.
Hey Karen,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
I practically never leave reviews but this was SO GOOD! I saw it on your Instagram and immediately wanted it! I made it as is basically, only I used more like 1lb dough (it was a perfect amount I think), and no pepperoni. The herb seasoning makes it really delicious and the burst tomato sauce is amazing!
Hey Ashley,
Happy Wednesday!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xxTieghan
Used fresh cherry tomatoes and herbs from my garden and 1/2 lb fresh pizza dough from the Kroger deli – it was the perfect amount for a quarter sheet tray (10×12″). Used only 1 cup of cheese, and it was part-skim mozzarella because that’s what I had on hand. 2 cups seemed like too much and 1 cup ended up being just right for my taste. Otherwise, I followed the directions exactly. The only difference is that I cooked it at 480 instead of 500 because my Breville convection oven doesn’t go to 500. It was delicious!
Hey Karen,
Wonderful! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Just ok – really enjoyed the cheese & herb mixture, but ½ lb of the home made dough wasn’t nearly enough for a sheet pan, ended up using a full lb. We found the roasted tomato sauce lacked flavour despite using fresh herbs. Made a meal but probably wouldn’t make again.
Hey Lauren,
Sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe! xTieghan
I made this last weekend and served it with some salad. It was delicious. I thought that I had sprinkled on too much of the herbs, however with the melted cheese and the pepperoni and tomatoes, it worked perfectly. I will definitely be making this again.
Hey Colleen,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
I have a question: what is the pizza stone used for if you’re using the sheet pan to cook the pizza in?
Hey Jenn,
The pizza stone makes the pizza crust extra crispy. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
Thanks for your reply. Do I place the pizza stone underneath the sheet pan then? 🙂
Yes, that’s what I do:)
Loved your recipe! I opted for a cauliflower based dough, but followed all of your other steps and the flavors were incredible. Definitely felt like a eating a restaurant or even better. Thank you!
Hey Jenni,
Wonderful! I am so glad this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! Have a lovely week:) xTieghan
Thank you!! 🙂
This was INCREDIBLE! We used the crust recipe from Magnolia but the rest was your recipe. Definitely my new favorite pizza! We added shallots because we needed to use them up…oh my goodness. So so good! You never steer us wrong!
Hey Meredith,
Wonderful! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a go, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan