This post was sponsored by RAGÚ, and all content and opinions are my own.
Some of my all-time favorite memories throughout seem to revolve around food and making meals with those I love. Sometimes, I will smile as I think back at the delicious homemade spaghetti and meatballs my grandmother made. Other times, I will think back to those meals my mom prepared for us each night, and insisted on us eating together as a family.
More recently, my “good food memories” would be related to my own exploration into making food look beautiful and taste equally as beautiful for a group of our closest friends. I also love adding a few special touches to meals that impress guests, like these Pizza Pinwheels I created in this post.
Luckily, home cooked food has been a huge part of my life ever since I can remember, and when I learned that RAGÚ is celebrating their 80th anniversary, and wanted me to personally create and share a recipe featuring their sauces, I was instantly nostalgic for my Italian heritage (from my grandfather and father’s side), and also at the same time, excited about future recipes I will create, inspired by their culture.
A great pasta sauce starts with great ingredients. RAGÚ Homestyle sauces are made from a bold combination of vine-ripened tomatoes, onions and fragrant herbs and spices such as basil, oregano, fennel and ground black pepper, the ingredients are peeled, chopped and simmered to perfection.
I browsed the RAGÚ site extensively, in order to gain a bit more insight about their long-standing brand name, and I also loved seeing all of the rave reviews people give their products. On their site, I found this incredibly stunning yet relatively easy-to-recreate recipe, and I am so excited to share it with you today.
This fun recipe can be customized to suit just about any of your favorite pizza flavors, from just plain cheese, to piled high with veggies (like I’ve shown in this post), to meat-lovers and beyond!
All you need is a few simple ingredients! Makes 8 pinwheels.
1 Jar of your favorite RAGU Homestyle pasta sauce (I used the Thick & Hearty Four Cheese)
2 cans of refrigerated pizza dough (in the tubes)
1-2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Toppings such as thinly sliced red onion, chopped green peppers, pepperoni, etc.
Other Materials:
Foil To Cover Baking Sheet (optional)
Oven or Toaster Oven
Knife to cut dough
Floured work surface like a cutting board
1.) On a floured work surface, lay/roll out one tube of pizza dough.
2.) Cut in 4 squares, and cut about 1 inch into each corner – do not cut all the way to the center.
3.) Put a dollop of RAGU Homestyle Pasta sauce in the center of the dough squares and top with your favorite toppings. I added quite a few toppings, and it baked extremely well.
RAGÚ’s Homestyle sauce is summered in tradition, because RAGÚ believes a great sauce starts with great ingredients.
4.) Begin to fold the pinwheel. Take one corner and fold to the enter, repeat each corner and press relatively firmly on the center, and pinch the dough together if need be.
5.) Bake in a 350 degree F° oven for 15-20 minutes. Make sure not to burn the ends of the pinwheels, and feel free to cover the pinwheels with foil for the last few minutes of baking, and always ensure the middle is fully cooked.
6.) Serve with a small dish of extra RAGÚ Homestyle sauce. I had SO much fun dipping the pinwheels into the sauce – WAY better than anything I’ve had at a restaurant! Enjoy!
Also, three lucky readers will win this adorable, reusable tote bag plus two sauces of their choice! Three winners will receive the prize, and can then hopefully use this post as inspiration for their next recipe!
