I love kale. Jordan tolerates it and maybe even kind of likes it, but he loves pizza so I thought I’d make a pizza with kale. I found this recipe for Tuscan Kale Pizza and was intrigued by the addition of white beans. I’d never thought about adding beans to my pizza, but the combination of kale, white beans, pine nuts, and cheese sounded delicious to me. It’s almost like you make a white bean hummus for “the sauce”. I didn’t tell Jordan what kind of pizza we were having for dinner, because I knew he would be skeptical. Up until a couple years ago, he was a pepperoni-only kind of guy, but now (after a brief period of skepticism with really unique toppings…like beans or kale ha!) he’ll try pretty much anything. It’s kind of cute how his eyes light up when he sees I’ve made homemade pizza for dinner =). We both loved this pizza! The combination of flavors really works. Neither of us are big onion fans, but if you slice it really thin, you won’t really taste a strong onion taste. However, if you hate onions just leave them off. And the kale? Well, let’s just say my love affair with kale continues ;). Enjoy!
Tuscan Kale Pizza
1 ball pizza dough
2 cloves garlic, grated
1-1/2 tbsp extra virigin olive oil, divided
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 (14 oz) can white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (more or less to taste)
salt, to taste
~4 cups chopped fresh kale
1/2 of a small red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp chopped pine nuts
1. Preheat oven 500 degrees. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to small skillet. Add rosemary and garlic and saute until garlic is golden. Add beans and cook until warm through, then mash with a potato masher and season with salt and crushed red pepper. (You can add a tablespoon or so of water if necessary to get a smooth paste.)
2. In a larger skillet, saute onion in remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil until transparent. Add kale, saute for a moment until coated with oil, add 1/2 cup water, cover and allow to steam until pan is dry and kale is tender.
3. On lightly floured parchment paper, roll the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle. Spread on bean paste, then evenly apply kale-onion blend. Top with cheeses and sprinkle with pine nuts. Place on preheated pizza stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crust looks toasty and cheese begins to brown.
*adapted from DeLallo Recipes
