Copycat O'scugnizzo Pizza

I grew up in a town called Utica, New York, this is a copycat favorite upside-down pizza that has been around since 1914 called O'scugnizzo.

The pizzeria remains open and ships its famous style all of the U.S. still open to date, and that's many Uticans' first stop when visiting home.

This was my favorite place to hang out with friends any night of the week and a family favorite so I decided since moving away to try and recreate it.

Although nothing will take the place of the real deal, upside-down pizza is assembled the same and is a delicious copycat or a miles-away memory.

The sauce is delicious and full of flavor, but the secret is using a great whole milk cheese and layering the pizza.

I can only savor the moments of getting a slice of #8 when I visit again which is my favorite loose sausage-style pizza.

When making a copycat recipe, you really want it to come together as the original and our pizza will be a pleasant surprise.

If you're familiar with Utica, New York, check out the links below for other foods our town is famous for.


Utica is famous for Tomato Pie, Italian Greens, Italian Lemon Ice, Pizza Fritta, Chicken Riggies, Manny's Cheesecake, Oscugnizzo Pizza, Pusties, and Rosato Chocolate Cookies.


Scroll down and get my printable directions and recipe.

Upside Pizza

The sauce and grated cheese are on the top of the cheese, so that makes the difference of calling it an upside pizza, check out the photos below.


This pizza made by O'scugnizzo Pizzeria is one of the best pizzas around if you love this style.


Of course, nothing can compare to the original, but being 1900 miles away it's the next best pizza available making our copycat recipe.


This pizzeria was founded in 1914 by Eugeno Burlino, who came to Utica from Naples in the late 1800s. They were officially declared the 2nd oldest pizzeria in the country..


If you go to their website you can try the original shipped from Utica, N.Y., and order online!

Upside Pizza What's The Difference?

• steps for upside-down pizza
• the dough is pre-baked since we don't have a pizza oven 
• meat goes first on top of dough IE sausage etc.
• the cheese goes on next
• the sauce goes on when the pizza is cooked all the way through
• last, the pizza is loaded with Pecorino Romano cheese last (we love the cheese you can use less if you prefer)

All I could do is try and make the best "upside pizza" possible until I visit home again.


This will certainly take care of that craving until you can get there to eat the best upside-down pizza around in Utica, New York.

Tomato Sauce and Tips

1. use a good quality tomato from Italy/European brands only(if using local brands, it won't have the same fresh-tasting tomato sauce)
2. crushed tomatoes have a little more pulp in them and work perfectly
3. use the heated sauce to the finished pizza cooked
4. my sources tell me the loose sausage goes on raw and cooks in a hot 800-degree pizza oven, I cook mine first and drain the grease

Tools Needed

1. This pizza requires a rectangular baking sheet and cut into squares or a round pan for a smaller-sized pizza
2. pizza cutter round or scissors style
3. fry pan
4. saucepan
5. wooden
6. spoon
7. Note: for pizza dough homemade is best or you can use store-bought from a bakery

Pizza Topping Ideas

• peppers
• olives
• eggplant
• pepperoni
• crushed meatballs finely chopped
• leftover cooked buffalo chicken and cheddar cheese
• loose cooked sausage
• ham, and pineapple
• mushrooms finely chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese
• finely chopped zucchini or spinach with ricotta and garlic
• minced finely minced shrimp and garlic
• anchovies
• loose cooked ground beef, cheddar cheese, finely chopped onions
• tuna, cheddar cheese, minced onions
• leftover cooked meats, pizza sauce, and cheese of choice 
• broccoli rabe sauteed
• 5 kinds of cheeses 
• garlic, oil, and shredded cheese
• tomato basil
• sliced onion
• make the combination your family prefers (we are sausage and cheese lovers)

Utica N.Y. Local Copycat Recipes:

Chicken Riggies

Utica Greens

Lemon Ice

Manny's Cheese Cake

Tomato Pie

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Upside Down Pizza

The nickname for this style of pizza has always been called upside down because of how the layering is unique to this pizza pie.

Living so far from my hometown I have spent many days and nights in the kitchen trying to recreate my favorites until I can get back home for a visit and this is one of them.


The best of the best still remains in Utica, New York and of course and its originality, this is just a knockoff and it's pretty darn good to us for now.

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Italian food, copycat, pizza recipes, copycat pizza

Italian

Yield: 15

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Copycat O'scugnizzo Pizza

Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

This is a copycat recipe from my hometown Utica New York famous pizzeria called O'scugnizzo. Living so far away from home and in Florida, nothing came close. This is not exact but it sure is similar in flavor and certainly their secret method of cooking.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of fresh pizza dough
• My pizza dough recipe or use store bought.
• I use a deep rectangular baking sheet (around 2 inches deep)
• 1 pound of Italian sausage any heat you prefer( although the original recipe is to add raw sausage to the pizza, I fry mine first and drain the oil).
• 2 cups of pizza sauce per pizza pie ( or more if you like) for the top
• Note Pizza Sauce Suggestions: use canned, homemade pizza sauce or crushed Italian plum tomatoes
• around 8 thick slices of whole milk mozzarella (best to have the deli slice it fresh)
• For more topping suggestions see under notes below

Instructions

1. First, stretch the dough out with floured fingers on a rectangular-style cookie sheet pan (the dough should rise to around 1/2 inch to 1 inch high).
2. Pre-cook the dough at 430 degrees until it's lightly browned on top around 15 minutes.
3. In the meantime cook the sausage and drain it (or leave it raw if you want the original style way they add it to the dough raw.
4. Note: since home ranges don't reach 800 to 900 degrees like real pizza ovens in our homes, I always fry the sausage first and set it aside.
5. Again the original recipe was said to add the sausage to the raw dough. I always want to ensure the pork is cooked.
6. After the dough is partially cooked, add a little olive oil under the dough onto the pan. Put the dough back in the sheet pan so it gets crispy when you recook this.
7. Add 1/4 inch slices of mozzarella cheese on top evenly over the whole pizza pie, then add sausage or whatever toppings of your choice you prefer.
8. The sauce doesn't go on until after the dough is crispy, and the cheese is melted.
9. Bake again at 430 degrees until the cheese melts.
10. As soon as the pizza is cooked, take out the pizza and spread it with sauce, and sprinkle it with rPEcorino Romano Cheese, Parmesan, or a combination of both.

Notes

Pizza Topping Ideas

• peppers
• olives
• eggplant
• pepperoni
• crushed meatballs finely chopped
• leftover cooked buffalo chicken and cheddar cheese
• loose cooked sausage
• ham, and pineapple
• mushrooms finely chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese
• finely chopped zucchini or spinach with ricotta and garlic
• minced finely minced shrimp and garlic
• anchovies
• loose cooked ground beef, cheddar cheese, finely chopped onions
• tuna, cheddar cheese, minced onions
• leftover cooked meats, pizza sauce, and cheese of choice 
• broccoli rabe sauteed
• 5 kinds of cheeses 
• garlic, oil, and shredded cheese
• tomato basil
• sliced onion
• make the combination your family prefers (we are sausage and cheese lovers)

Similar Recipes

Upstate NY Chicken Riggie Fest Roundup of Recipes

Italian Utica Greens Recipe

Strawberry Cheesecake Copycat Manny's Utica New York

Tomato Pie Recipe Upstate New York

Pusties Pastaciotti Recipe

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