There's nothing quite like the comfort of a family-friendly takeaway meal. But for those looking for a do-it-yourself option, this deep pan pizza won't disappoint.

Recipes & Styling Natalie Homan | Photographs Brendan Homan

Deep pan pizza with nduja, broccolini, olives and pesto
makes two 10-inch pizzas

⅓ cup olive oil
400g whole peeled tomatoes
⅓ cup grated parmesan
¾ cup shredded mozzarella
150g nduja (spicy, spreadable pork sausage)
¾ cup pitted Kalamata olives
4 broccolini stems, roughly chopped
sea salt & cracked black pepper

for dough
400g strong flour
4g dry yeast
1 tsp salt
250ml water
2 tbsp olive oil

for pesto
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 cups firmly packed basil leaves
¼ cup grated parmesan
⅓ cup olive oil

Mix together dough ingredients with a wooden spoon in large bowl until completely incorporated. Cover with clingfilm and allow to prove for 12-18 hours at room temperature (warmer weather requires less proving time). Divide olive oil between two 10-inch cast iron pans. Turn out dough onto floured bench and divide in half. Roll each piece into a ball and place seam side down into pans. Press down onto doughs to form a disc and rub the surface with olive oil from the pan. Cover with clingfilm and allow to prove for two hours.

Place garlic and pine nuts into a small food processor and blitz until crumbly. Add basil (leaving a few leaves aside to garnish) and blitz to form a rough paste. Add parmesan and pulse to combine. Drizzle in the olive oil with motor running and process until emulsified. Drain excess juice from the tinned tomato and puree the whole tomatoes with a stick blender. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven for 30 minutes at its maximum temperature. Gently press dough to fill pans, bursting any air pockets. Spread with tomato puree and sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella. Dollop tablespoon amounts of nduja evenly over pizzas, followed by broccolini and olives. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on temperature of your oven. Remove pizza and check the underside – if it is a little blonde, place over medium-to-high heat on stove and cook until golden.

Serve pizzas drizzled with pesto and garnished with basil.

This article first appeared in the April 2023 issue of SALIFE magazine.