Today’s recipe, this Sheet Pan Pepperoni Pizza with Pineapple and Smashed Tomatoes, is a really fun way to infuse a regular ole’ weeknight with just a little bit of excitement. We had “pizza night” on a Tuesday (sorry, tacos) and it was such a hit. Also, if you’re a big fan of the sweet and salty flavor combination – then this is the pizza for you. It’s pretty unbeatable, so far as that marriage goes.
The “New Hawaiian Pizza”
I love a good ham and pineapple pizza, don’t get me wrong. But the simple yet highly effective swap of spicy, salty, uber flavorful pepperoni (or salami) for the ham just WORKS. Obvi pepperoni is the pizza topping MVP, but I just love sneaking it onto a Hawaiian pizza because it’s just more. More salt. More herbs. More spice. More fat. All the good things.
I suppose the real question here is whether we’re changing a Hawaiian pizza by swapping in pepperoni for the ham, or simply adding pineapple to a pepperoni pizza. Either is correct, it seems, and it’s all about your perspective.
Your pizza perspective.
The good news? No matter how you see it, you’ll wind up with one incredibly tasty sheet pan pepperoni pizza that will leave you feeling utterly and completely satisfied.
Tips and tricks for homemade sheet pan pepperoni pizza mastery
- HOT! Hot! Hot! To really achieve a fully browned top AND bottom crust, you’ll need to bake the pizza at the absolute highest temp your oven will go. Mine goes up to 550 but 500 is pretty standard, too, and that works great. Just remember – the hotter the better. This ain’t no apple pie, y’all. This is a pizza pie, and it craves the heat.
- In this recipe, we’re essentially doubling down on the tomato flavor by roasting some cherry tomatoes (which taste good year round) and smashing them right into some store-bought pizza sauce. I like Rao’s! I love tomatoes – my whole fam does – so this is just a nice way to really make the most of the tomato flavors running throughout the pizza.
- Rather than burying all of the toppings under a mountain of cheese, I like to leave the pineapple and pepperoni/salami exposed. This helps the meat crisp up and it encourages the fruit to caramelize.
- Cheese swap! Instead of mozzarella here, I’ve opted for a tasty provolone. It has a deeper flavor and melts beautifully. But please be sure to purchase a block/chunk of provolone and grate it yourself. The difference is undeniably noticeable. So much that it’s truly worth doing. Trust me – I would’t ask you to if it didn’t make a big difference.
What you’ll need to make this sheet pan pepperoni pizza with pineapple and smashed tomatoes
INGREDIENTS
½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes
Olive oil, for coating the pan and roasting
Salt and pepper, as needed
4 or 5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 lb. pizza dough, either homemade or store-bought
1 cup store-bought pizza sauce, marinara, or pomodoro
1 shallot, thinly sliced
8 oz. provolone cheese, shredded (don’t get sliced or pre-shredded)
5 pineapple rings (you can also chop the pineapple up, if you like)
12 sliced pepperoni or salami, give or take
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
How to make a great sheet pan pepperoni pizza
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the middle position.
Place the tomatoes on a small baking sheet/dish and coat in a little olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Lay the thyme on top and roast until they’ve burst; about 12 to 15 minutes. Mash lightly with a fork.
Increase the oven temp to as high as it will go – 500 to 550 degrees F. Coat a large sheet pan with olive oil (a couple tablespoons worth) and stretch/toss the pizza dough until it’s large enough to almost cover the sheet pan. Just get it as thin as you can – it can be oval, rectangular – any shape is cool!Â
Scatter the smashed tomatoes all over the dough and then dollop with the pizza sauce. Spread it all around evenly. Top with the sliced shallots, the shredded provolone, the pepperoni/salami, and then the pineapple. Sprinkle with oregano.
Bake until melty, bubbly, and nice and brown/crusty – takes me 12 to 13 minutes. Just keep an eye on it.
If you like the looks of this Sheet Pan Pepperoni Pizza, you might also enjoy:
Parmesan Crusted Deep Dish Pizza with Pepperoni Sauce
Sheet Pan Pepperoni Pizza with Pineapple and Jammy Tomatoes
A perfectly sweet and salty sheet pan pizza that features spicy pepperoni and juicy, sweet pineapple – this is the new Hawaiian! We doctor up a good store-bought pizza sauce my mixing in some quick-roasted smashed cherry tomatoes and then layer on the toppings. A great way to add a little fun to a weeknight dinner.Â
- Yield: One large pizza
Ingredients
½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes
Olive oil, for coating the pan and roasting
Salt and pepper, as needed
4 or 5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 lb. pizza dough, either homemade or store-bought
1 cup store-bought pizza sauce, marinara, or pomodoro
1 shallot, thinly sliced
8 oz. provolone cheese, shredded (don’t get sliced or pre-shredded)
5 pineapple rings (you can also chop the pineapple up, if you like)
12 sliced pepperoni or salami, give or take
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the middle position.
- Place the tomatoes on a small baking sheet/dish and coat in a little olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Lay the thyme on top and roast until they’ve burst; about 12 to 15 minutes. Mash lightly with a fork (discard the thyme).
- Increase the oven temp to as high as it will go – 500 to 550 degrees F. Coat a large sheet pan with olive oil (a couple tablespoons worth) and stretch/toss the pizza dough until it’s large enough to almost cover the sheet pan. Just get it as thin as you can – it can be oval, rectangular – any shape is cool!Â
- Scatter the smashed tomatoes all over the dough and then dollop with the pizza sauce. Spread it all around evenly. Top with the sliced shallots, the shredded provolone, the pepperoni/salami, and then the pineapple. Sprinkle with oregano and the grated parmesan.
- Bake until melty, bubbly, and nice and brown/crusty – takes me 12 to 13 minutes. Just keep an eye on it.Â
Keywords: Sheet Pan Pepperoni Pizza with Pepperoni and Pineapple
