Can Libertyville woman's pizza make the cut?

Laurel Panega's friends say her gourmet, spicy sausage pizza is amazing.

They aren't exaggerating.

Panega's pizza is one of five finalists in the Cavit Gourmet Pizza Classic competition. Her recipe was selected from more than 7,000 entries from amateur cooks across the country and the winner will be chosen Sunday on the NBC Weekend Today show, which airs live at 8 a.m.

The Libertyville mother of two said she entered on a whim and never expected to make the final cut.

"It was surprising to say the least," she said. "But I knew it was a good recipe. It is very tasty."

The pizza will be judged by editors of Bon Appétit magazine. The winner gets an all-expense paid trip for two to Italy that includes a tour of the Cavit winery in Trentino.

Panega said she was trolling around on the Cavit Wines Web site when she spotted a blurb about the contest. It's the first time she's entered a competition.

"I've always enjoyed trying new recipes," she said, "but only recently have been trying my own."

The competition will be tough. The other entries include a spicy shrimp pizza, a fig and Gorgonzola recipe, a "Heavenly White Porcini Pizza," and "Mama's Pizza." Who can argue with Mama?

Panega's concoction includes apples - an ingredient she believes will set her pizza apart from the others.

"The Cavit Cabernet Sauvignon is made in northern Italy. So I researched to find out what ingredients people in that part of the country use in their pizza," Panega explained. "It's a big apple growing region. The Cabernet has fruit and herbal flavors in it, so the apples pick up the sweetness of the fruit flavors in the wine. I added sage and fennel to pick up the herbal notes."

She's had no formal training, but Panega is a fan of the Food Network and Chef Alton Brown is one of her favorites.

She's served her spicy sausage pizza to her family in recent months, and also to members of the dinner club she attends with her husband, Andy.

"I tested it out on the dinner club and it was a hit," she said.

Winning would be awesome, but Panega said making the final cut and jetting out to New York for a national TV appearance is fun enough.

She's feeling confident but stopped short of predicting victory.

"I have a least a 20 percent chance," she laughed. "But seriously, I think I have a pretty good shot at it."

Spicy Sausage Pizza

Crust

1 quarter ounce of dry yeast

¾ cup lukewarm water

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Topping

½ cup marinara

1 cup grated fontina

⅓ cup grated Parmesan

⅓ cup grated mozzarella

1 lb. hot Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled

½ oz. fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped

2 medium Fuji apples, peeled and cored

1 medium fennel bulb

Salt and pepper

For the crust: Dissolve yeast in water: set aside for 5 minutes. Combine flour, salt, sugar, and oil in bowl; make a well in center. When water/yeast mixture is bubbly, pour into center of well. Knead until smooth and elastic. Roll into ball; cover with damp cloth. Let rest in warm place for 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Punch down dough and divide in half. Roll dough half to a flattened rectangle and to the prepared pan.

For the toppings: Brush with 1/4 cups marinara. Sprinkle with half the fontina, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Sprinkle half the Italian sausage evenly, followed by half of sage.

With a mandoline, shave apples and fennel bulb into thin slices. Cut each slice into 1-inch long pieces. Distribute half over sausage and sage. Sprinkle with salt and pepper generously. Bake until crust is golden, 13-15 minutes.

Repeat with remaining dough and toppings.

Makes one pizza; serves six.

Laurel Panega, Libertyville