Pizza Calzone

By Melissa Clark

Updated October 27, 2025

  • Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
About 30 Minutes
Rating
5(593)
Comments
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A calzone unveils itself slowly, bite by bite, especially if you’ve layered the fillings with several elements. For those who can’t give up the pie, I offer a pizza-calzone hybrid. Based on an elaborate dish I sampled at Don Antonio by Starita, a Midtown pizzeria, it has basil-perfumed ricotta and Parmesan in the center, and tomato sauce and melted mozzarella on top. It’s the best of both worlds, and an unexpected thing to do with a ball of pizza dough.

Featured in: See You Later, Pizza, This Dough Is for Calzones

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Ingredients

Yield:2 servings

  • Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

  • ¾ cup fresh ricotta

  • 1 ounce Parmesan, grated (¼ cup)

  • 2 tablespoons chopped basil

  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

  • All-purpose flour, as needed

  • 1 8-ounce ball pizza dough, homemade or purchased

  • ⅓ cup tomato sauce

  • 2 ounces fresh mozzarella, grated (½ cup)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

67 grams carbs; 80 milligrams cholesterol; 647 calories; 9 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 28 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1352 milligrams sodium; 32 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly oil.

  2. Step 2

    In a bowl, stir together ricotta, Parmesan, basil and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Lightly flour a work surface, and stretch or roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Spread ricotta mixture on half the dough, leaving a half-inch border all around. Brush the edges of the dough with water and fold dough in half, over filling; pinch the edges of the dough together to seal.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer calzone to baking sheet. Brush the top with olive oil. Spoon tomato sauce over the calzone and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until crust is firm and cheese is golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
593 user ratings
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Comments

Elizabeth S

Alright folks I made some adjustments to this and it was s-p-e-c-t-a-c-u-l-a-r.
-I used The Times Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce recipe. Do NOT modify this. I'm talking to you, garlic adders.
-I put my sauce on the inside (I didn't look at the recipe before assembling my calzone, but I loved the result).
-Also I only had pecorino romano cheese and it. was. so. magical.
-Fresh basil = a must.
-Trader Joe's pizza crust.
I might eat this every week. I mean seriously, yum.

Jo

Excellent!I made this tonight using store bought dough. Added mozzarella and chopped parsley to the ricotta and grated cheese. I was trying to make it as similar to a pizzeria calzone as possible. Didn’t put sauce or mozzarella on top before baking...just isn’t done in my Italian household! Served with a side of tomato sauce (my own home grown tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley and basil, simmered for an hour or so) and salad. Can also add sliced cooked meatballs to top of ricotta before sealing

Beth

I've made this a few times. It's much easier and more forgiving than pizza--no difficult transfers to a pre-heated pizza stone--and can be varied countless ways.

Laurie K

Great great recipe! Added crumbled sausage inside as well as the ricotta.

Extreme Moderate

I didn’t actually follow this recipe per se but I did use the finishing idea. Excellent. Used KAF calzone dough. Sausage, sautéed onion, garlic mushrooms, ricotta beaten with egg, Parmesan grated in, some mozzarella. After 12 minutes, followed Melissa’s topping idea. Yum. I could sell them!

julie

Made as written, using Whole Foods fresh pizza dough and homemade marinara. Easy and delicious!!

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