Garlic Bread Lasagna French Bread Pizzas
There’s something about French bread pizzas that really take me back to being a kid, although I never ate it when I was young. I think it’s more about the recipe itself and maybe because I would see them in the freezer section all the time. I remember that I would ask my mom if we could get some whenever I’d go to the grocery store with her, but she would say no. Pizza built up on a crusty chewy baguette? What’s not to love about that? I also distinctly remember that French bread pizzas would always have tiny cubes of pepperoni, instead of sliced. Again, I’m basing this all on the fact that I didn’t actually eat them, but would always just ogle at them from the behind the frosty glass of the frozen foods aisle. I’m bringing that excitement back with these Garlic Bread Lasagna French Bread Pizzas! It’s garlic bread meets lasagna meets French bread pizza and it literally doesn’t get any better than this. And if you’ve never taken a slice of leftover lasagna and sandwiched it in between two slices of garlic bread, then you’ve been missing out. But have no fear because this pizza is basically that but 100 times better.
Garlic Bread Lasagna French Bread Pizzas
Equipment
- Skillet
- Baking sheet
- Small bowl
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound hot or mild Italian sausage
- 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
- 8 garlic cloves minced (divided)
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 large baguette
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Set a large skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Once hot, add in the sausage and begin breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and no longer pink. Stir in the onion and a tiny amount of the garlic (the bulk of it will be for the garlic spread later on) and cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Cook for about 1 minute to develop their flavor. Stir in the tomatoes, reduce heat to low and season with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil, and a pinch of salt and pepper until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the butter, the remaining garlic, remaining parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. Cut the baguette in half and then cut each half in half once more but like you’re opening a book, so you end up with four flat pieces. Spread each piece of bread with the garlic butter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Sprinkle with paprika and bake until it begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- Spread the top of each with the ricotta mixture and spread out evenly. Top with the meat sauce and then sprinkle generously with mozzarella. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
