The Best English Muffin Pepperoni Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves, divided
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves, divided
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 stick pepperoni, preferably natural casing, cut into 32 slices
• 4 English muffins, split in half
• 4 ounces grated Mozzarella cheese
• 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

1. Set an oven rack in the upper middle position and heat the oven to 500 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, warm the oil and butter over medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Stir in the garlic, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon basil, pepper flakes, and oregano, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and sugar, bring the sauce to a simmer, and cook, stirring now and then, until it thickens slightly, about 15 minutes total. Add salt and pepper to taste, then stir in 1 more tablespoon parsley and 1 more tablespoon basil.
2. While the sauce is cooking, use a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat to cook half of the pepperoni slices until they curl into cups and the edges turn crisp, about 2 minutes. Move them to a large plate and leave the fat in the skillet. Put 4 English muffin halves in the skillet, cut side down, and swirl them through the fat. Toast until nicely browned, about 2 minutes, then move them to a baking sheet lined with foil. Repeat the same cooking and toasting with the remaining pepperoni and English muffin halves.
3. Spread sauce over each English muffin half. Add 1/2 ounce of mozzarella to each one, then sprinkle on 1/4 ounce of Parmesan cheese. Arrange 4 pepperoni slices over each pizza and finish with a little more grated Parmesan.
4. Bake until the English muffins are crisp on the bottom and the cheese has melted and is just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven, add extra Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil, scatter the remaining parsley and basil over the top, and serve.