N'duja Burrata Pie

Spicy spreadable n'duja, balsamic, a deep-baked crust, and cold blended burrata dolloped over hot slices.

Time: 10 min | Yield: 1 14-16 inch pizzas | Difficulty: Intermediate | Serves: 3 | Published: 2026-07-24

N'duja is spicy, spreadable Calabrian pork, and a little goes a very long way. This pie is built around managing its intensity: quarter-sized pinches spread out, a thin cheese layer, balsamic for sweetness, and a flood of cold burrata at the end to cool the burn.

The bake runs longer than my usual pies, a full 10 minutes, for a deep, dark crust that stands up to the richness. While it bakes, you blend the burrata smooth so it spoons like cream.

Balsamic goes on twice, before and after the bake. If you're using a balsamic reduction instead of straight vinegar, save it all for the end, reductions burn. Finish with a lot of Reggiano. This is a bold pie and it wants a bold finish.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 500-550 degrees on the convection setting for an hour with baking steel inside.
  2. Stretch your dough super thin and press out the edges a little more than normal.
    You'll know it's right: Stretch thinner than usual and press the edges flatter, this pie wants a deep bake and a lower profile.
  3. Lay down a thin layer of Sauce. I kept it very simple with blended crushed Bianco Di Napoli tomatoes and a little salt
  4. Evenly spread your mozzarella and scamorza. We want a very thin layer here. You should see sauce still. This is to keep the pie super crispy but will balance nicely.
    You'll know it's right: You should still SEE sauce through the cheese layer. Thin cheese keeps the n'duja the star instead of burying it.
  5. Pinch off your n'duja. About the size of a quarter. I didn't want one bite to be over powered if it was too much. But spread them about two inches apart from each other.
    You'll know it's right: Quarter-sized pinches, spread out. N'duja melts and spreads in the oven, one oversized blob makes one overpowering bite.
  6. Drizzle on your balsamic vinegar. I used balsamic vinegar so you can apply more than you think. If you use a reduction instead, I would hold off on this step and add it afterward.
  7. Drizzle olive oil around the crust for a deeper color.
  8. Launch into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Longer than normal, but Ceres typically has a very deep color on their crust. Well-Done.
  9. While it's in the oven, blend your burrata so it's a smooth, even creamy consistency. Check the attached sub recipe if you are making yours from scratch.
    You'll know it's right: Blend the burrata until completely smooth and pourable-thick, like heavy whipped cream. That's the dollop consistency.
  10. Remove from oven and rest on a cooling rack for two minutes.
  11. I added more balsamic vinegar here which worked well. If you are using reduction, apply it here. ~1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  12. Slice your pizza
  13. Apply healthy dollops of burrata. 1 ~ cup burrata/stracciatella
    You'll know it's right: Dollops go on sliced, rested pizza. Cold burrata against the spicy hot pie is the whole experience.
  14. Finish with A LOT of reggiano. Enjoy! Parmigiano Reggiano

Troubleshooting

One bite nuked my mouth, the next had nothing

N'duja blobs too big and too few. Quarter-sized pinches, evenly spaced. It spreads as it melts, small and distributed beats big and sparse.

Crust was pale for this style

Pulled at the usual 8 minutes. This one bakes 10, the deep color is intentional and the sturdier crust carries the richness.

Balsamic reduction burned

Reductions can't take a 550°F oven. Straight vinegar can go on before AND after. Reduction goes on after only.

Burrata was lumpy on the pie

Dolloped straight from the ball. Blend it smooth while the pizza bakes. It should spoon like thick cream, not fall in chunks.

Too rich, couldn't finish it

Heavy cheese layer under everything. The thin, see-the-sauce cheese layer is deliberate. The richness budget is spent on the n'duja and burrata, not the base.

Nutrition (2 slices (1/4 of a 14-16 inch pie)): 430 calories, 19g protein, 37g carbs, 23g fat.