This easy calzone recipe features homemade pizza dough and a filling of veggies and two types of cheese. Dip it in a spicy pizza sauce and be amazed.
Alex and I like to make our own pizza, so why not Calzone Pizza? Wrap our best pizza dough and sauce around a savory topping and you’re done better Calzone Recipe. Sharing half a pizza is fine. But eating the same pizza in the form of your personal pizza pocket is even more fun! You can use any veggies you like in this calzone recipe. Better yet, use cooked veggies or meat you have on hand, which is the traditional Italian way! Here are all our secrets.
What is a calzone?
Calzone pizza originated in Naples, Italy (which is where the best dishes come from, right?). It’s basically a giant pizza pocket. They are traditionally stuffed with cold cuts, cheese and whatever veggies you have on hand. Calzones don’t usually come with tomato sauce, as you’re supposed to dip them in the sauce before each bite. (This calzone recipe includes just a little sauce mixed into the filling for a flavor boost.)
The calzones are folded over and ruffled at the edges to seal in any fillings. Then they are baked until the outside is golden brown and the cheese filling is bubbling.
Tips for preparing this calzone Recipe
How do you make a calzone from scratch? Many people mistakenly believe that calzones are a delicate dish best left to the professionals at your local pizza joint. But homemade calzone pizza can be quite easy to make if you know a few tricks!
- Use our main pizza dough recipe (or a shortcut using store-bought dough). The part of this calzone recipe that requires the most skill is preparing the dough. Our tried and true master pizza dough recipe includes all the instructions you need to make pizza dough at home.
- Fry the vegetables fully before garnishing. Be sure to sauté your veggies before filling the calzone. Frying the veg releases most of its liquid, so you don’t end up with a mushy calzone.
- Don’t overload! When filling a calzone pizza, put less cheese and veggies than you think is necessary. An overstuffed calzone will begin to ooze in the oven and the crust will become mushy. Overfilling also makes it harder to close the edges of the calzone and makes the whole process incredibly messy (it would still be delicious!).
Make instructions in advance
If you plan to make this easy calzone recipe for guests, we recommend making the pizza dough ahead of time. Our easy pizza dough recipe can be refrigerated up to 3 days before making and will boost the flavor too! That way, it’s handy the day of cooking: just let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes while you make the filling. You can also make the red sauce ahead of time, although it’s not very difficult to make while the calzone is cooking.
Which side dishes go well with calzones?
How do you incorporate these calzones into a meal? This calzone recipe is best served with whatever you would actually serve with pizza! Here are some sites we recommend:
This Calzone Pizza Recipe is…
Vegetarian.
The description
This easy calzone recipe features homemade pizza dough and a filling of veggies and two types of cheese. Dip it in a spicy pizza sauce and be amazed.
- Follow the best homemade pizza dough recipe or food processor pizza dough recipe to prepare the dough. (It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to rest.) After kneading, divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Brush the bottom of a container with olive oil, then brush the dough balls with olive oil on all sides and place in the container. Cover the container and let the dough rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- In the meantime, make one double recipe simple homemade pizza sauce, but use ¼ tsp garlic powder instead of the garlic clove (so ½ tsp garlic total). One cup is used in the calzone filling and the rest is used as the dipping sauce.
- Preparation of the filling: Slice the mushrooms. Chop the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the mushrooms, basil, and ½ tsp kosher salt until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and stir; Fry for 1 minute. Add pizza sauce and spinach and cook until liquid is almost cooked through. Remove from fire. Taste and add more salt if needed. Mix in the mozzarella and parmesan.
- Preheat oven to 500°F.
- Work the dough into 2 balls at a time, place the dough on a floured surface and gently press each into a circle of about 5-6 inches (measuring will help to make sure it doesn’t get too big). Place ⅓ cup of the filling mixture on one half of each circle of dough, making sure to leave ½ inch space around the edge of the dough. Fold the other half of the dough over so the calzone forms a crescent. Press the edges together with a fork (we used a large serving fork). Using a spatula, place the calzone on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat for the 8 calzones spread across two baking sheets.
- Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the calzone with the egg milk.
- Bake the calzones until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then serve with the remaining pizza sauce.
- Category: main course
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: Italian
Keywords: Easy Calzone Recipe, How To Make Calzones, Calzone Recipe, Italian, Vegetarian Calzones, Vegetarian
Looking for more Italian dinner recipes?
Looking for easy Italian recipes? Here are some delicious Italian-inspired dishes to try:
Last updated September 2019
